Final Destination: Death's Force
by Freezing Death
Summary: Drake Anderson and his closest friends are relieved that the week of work is over, and it's finally the weekend, but the pain isn't over. After witnessing a shocking vision of the subway train he is about to take crashing in a series of violent, fiery explosions, he causes a heated argument between passengers on the platform, who miss their train. And miss their fate.
1. 1 - Premonition

Drake, Mina, Sarah and Freddy, reminiscing the eventful day they'd just had, were ready to board the train home. They were exhausted after a long Friday of work, but at least it was now the weekend, Drake thought as he walked briskly down to the subway station. He and his friends were chatting about the day's endeavours, while strolling down the steps to the subway station, escaping the hot August sun. As they stood on the platform, a strong breeze softly blew through the station.

"What was that?" Drake asked worriedly.

"What was what, sweetie?" Mina replied calmly.

"I felt, something… Never mind. I don't think it was anything." Drake answered quickly.

"Come on, Drake, you must be really tired! Let's get on the train!" Sarah chirped happily.

"Yeah, it's not gonna wait for us…" Freddy agreed.

They sat down in a 4 seat formation around a table, and sighed in relief.

"So yeah, he was like totally out of order…" Mina continued from her previous story.

"Yeah, we didn't sample that many foods..." Sarah said, giggling slightly.

"Okay, maybe we did…"

"No we didn't! It's gonna cost too much for me!"

"It's far though…"

Mina and Sarah continued to playfully argue while Drake sighed slightly resentfully, looking around the train. He could see a woman wearing a dress imprinted with a cat pattern, and chuckled lightly as he looked at the other passengers. There were two girls in matching red and blue skirts and tops, who he nearly mistook for identical twins. There was an older guy, probably in his forties, on the phone to someone. Drake felt another gust of cold wind blow, just as the overhead lights began to flicker.

"Did you guys feel that?" Drake asked again, beginning to worry more.

"Oh, stop… I haven't felt anything this time either!" Freddy said, a little angrily.

"Oh, Freddy, calm down… I didn't notice anything either though, Drake…" Sarah quickly replied.

"Whatever, guys. I swear something is going on…" Drake said, slightly panicking.

"Whatever you say, Drake…" Mina answered slowly, edging out of her seat and closer to Drake, to attempt to comfort him.

His eyes continued to dart around. There was a woman wearing a business suit, on the phone, and seemed to be almost shouting down the line. He saw another woman, younger than the others, with two men who resembled each other. Drake wondered if they were brothers. The woman was holding the younger guy very tightly, hand around his waist, his hand around hers. The older brother, maybe late twenties, was gazing fondly at the woman as she talked to the both of them. As Drake realised he was listening in, and intruding on what could be a private matter, he looked in another direction, seeing a teenager, maybe eighteen, with earphones in, sitting comfortably in his seat, with his face pressed up against the window. He saw another guy behind him, wearing huge headphones, with dyed neon blue spiky hair. As Drake casually looked down at the guy's phone, he noticed he was texting many people at the same time. There was a guy standing up behind him, by the door, with bright white hair, but was maybe sixty. He was cowering away from the teenage boy, glancing over, attempting to be inconspicuous. Drake just assumed he was afraid of teenagers.

The train continued to stop at various stations, travelling smoothly to their destination.

Out of the blue, the lights began to flicker and flash quicker, and what followed captured the attention of every passenger. The lights shut off. Screams were echoing off the walls of the train, sensations of panic coursing through Drake's veins as he clutched Mina tightly. In another shocking moment, the lights flickered, flashed, and turned back on. All the passengers looked at each other, laughing a little, in relief, then everything fell silent as the conductor was about to make an announcement.

"This is an important announcement. We are deeply apologetic to all passengers about the problems we have just experienced and we are working to fix th…" The announcement stopped instantaneously, with a loud sound of static crackling, just as the lights shut off once again. Drake felt as if his eardrums would burst, the resounding, panicked screams could be heard everywhere. All the passengers of Train 801 were struck by a deep fear as the train began to spark and tremble, speeding past a station, to the complete and utter disbelief of the people on the platform. His heart racing, Drake noticed the sparks bouncing down the tracks and flying by the windows. The whole train was filled with the deafening screams of the passengers in complete despair. Drake finally felt a streak of relief as he saw light in the distance, just before he realised the deadly truth.

The front of the train was on fire.

He began to fear for his life as he saw objects, people and shards of glass being thrown through the air as the train violently shook, the wheels slightly dislodging from the tracks. All the passengers he had seen before were crying, panicking, screaming, and unsure if they'd escape the train alive. The tracks seemed to go on forever.

Drake and Mina watched in horror as a piece of glass from a shattered window which had fallen in to the train was thrown through the air by force and cut the throat of the cat lady, who collapsed on the floor, knocking her forehead on the seat and screaming while she bled to death, slowly, and painfully. Mina began to sob, just before she was shocked by Drake shaking her shoulder, his hand clearly shivering.

At that precise moment, a seat flew towards her. Sarah, Freddy, Mina and Drake all ducked as it spun through the air, almost gracefully, but the two girls from before were not so fast. The seat crushed and mangled both of them against the wall, the base of the seat cracking the ribs of one, and the top of the seat cutting deep in to the waist of the second. Their remains were shredded by the material flying around in the storm of horror.

Sarah began to scream in terror, Drake slowly realising this could be the end of his life. The other man on the phone had now stepped on it in the frenzy, and was roaring in panic at the top of his voice until a pole, most likely a pillar from near the doors, soared through the passage between the seats, bouncing off the walls, hitting the ceiling and then coming down from the ceiling, going through the eye of the man, exiting out the back of his skull, and going through the stomach of the businesswoman behind him.

Completely paralysed by fear, the woman with the two men could not move, screaming as she was trapped under a heap of bags and suitcases with a fallen door on top. She looked up and screamed as light fell down from above, smashing on her face and impaling her. As the younger brother wailed in despair, six chunks of metal stabbed through him, and as he looked down and realised he was bleeding out, he was sucked out of the opening where a door once was, then, the speeding train ground his body against the wall.

The teenager, horrified, ran down the train, his backpack beginning to slow him down until two seats began to crush him, one on either side of him, holding him in place. He could barely look down before a huge piece of shrapnel flew through the air, digging in to his stomach, nearly bisecting him. The top half of his body jerked backwards from the speed, and fell off.

By now, Drake and his friends were frozen by the horrific sights they had seen and the panic they felt. The older brother, screaming, "No! Gary!" over the roar of the train's gears. He dropped the floor, wailing in terror. It was not long before a metal block rolled down the train, smashing his skull and the upper half of his head. Drake realised the fire was consuming more of the train, just as seven long, thin metal poles with a pointed tip rushed towards the guy with blue hair. All of the poles missed his body, and as the whimpering guy began to feel thankful he was still alive, a glass panel from above dislodged and crushed him. The old guy was having a fit now, yet he was quickly silenced by shards of glass, which ripped apart his skin. Almost in tears now, the old guy tripped on to a large piece of glass that went straight through him.

Drake clasped Mina's hand, and they ran through the train, shielding themselves with their arms and hands. Shards of material seemed to flow gently through the air in all the chaos, digging straight in to the passengers. Freddy and Sarah followed, until Sarah's foot caught on fire. She let out an earsplitting scream. Freddy tried to help her, but she was far too frenetic. Both of them were incinerated by the fire.

Drake and Mina watched in despair as the back of the train exploded, leaving a huge hole. Mina's scream was bloodcurdling as the force pulled her out of the tracks, electrocuting her before seats and material mangled and crushed her body. Drake was completely devastated by everything he had previously witnessed. All the horrifying death and destruction flashed through his mind. It was all over when another explosion blew him to bits. The wheels finally fully derailed, and the train shook, shook harder and overturned, killing everyone else inside.


	2. 2 - Reality

Drake snapped back to reality, terror completely gripping him. His heart was beating louder than a snare drum, his vision was blurry, and he staggered and shook as he realised what he had seen was not real.

He could barely stand, but his feet were almost glued to the floor, frozen by fear.

Confusing and contradicting thoughts ran through his mind, thousands of different questions entering his head, as he began to wonder, "Was it a dream? No… But I'm walking… Vision? I don't believe in that kind of stuff… But what was it? What if all these people will die? Is this train doomed to crash?! We can't die! What has just happened to me?!"

He was absolutely speechless, and could not get his legs to continue moving forward. Mina jogged silently up the steps to him, the twins continuing steadily along, almost not realising Mina had just left them to return to Drake.

She calmly nudged his shoulder, putting her hand around his waist gently, and casually asked, "Everything okay, babe? What are you doing just standing there? Drake?"

Drake was silent for a few seconds, unable to answer, still shocked to his very core.

Suddenly, he fell out of his dream-like state, almost perceiving at that moment that Mina was right beside him.

He slowly and rigidly turned towards her, replying much too loudly, full of fear, exclaimed, "No, nothing's okay, because if we get on this train, we're all gonna die!"

"What? What are you talking about, Drake? Death? Calm down, sweetie… People are looking…" Mina said in a gentle tone of voice, to keep Drake calm, waving away the attention he was beginning to attract by turning around and glaring at the other people.

Her intimidating stare caught some people off guard, as they slowly turned around to escape her look, which exuded sass and total confidence.

"No, I can't because I swear to you I just saw our deaths! It was like a vision, or premonition… I don't know, but I have to save you from this! All these innocent people will perish if you don't follow me and don't take this train!"

"What just happened? You were fine less than a minute ago… What do you mean, people will die? How do you know that will happen? Subways are safe, Drake, it's why we take them… And anyway, the roads are blocked! It's the only way we can get home. It's the way we're supposed to go."

Drake didn't even reply, and bolted down the stone steps, dragging Mina with him.

He grabbed Sarah and Freddy hurriedly, continually shouting about how he believed this would be their end if they boarded the 'doomed' train, as he described it repeatedly.

His descriptions were endless, and the words were just flooding out of his mouth like a disorganised stack of files, barely comprehensible but continuous. Even Mina was beginning to ignore his constant babbling.

"Hey! What are you shouting like that for?" an older man piped up, calling to Drake, a horrified look of recognition crossing Drake's eyes. He felt as if he'd seen him before, he thought… In his vision, he died in the crash…

Drake, panicking more and more, quickly replied, "I know this train will crash. It's going to explode, I just saw it! There was glass, metal, fire… All of us are going to die if we don't leave this subway station right now! I am telling you this completely honestly, but I just saw it, like I was there! Everyone died! You were first!" Drake pointed his trembling hand at a woman with a cat-imprinted coat, who looked at him in utter disgust and shock.

She slowly stepped away from him, beginning to slightly fear his claims could be correct.

By now, around ten potential passengers were looking at Drake, scowling at him, as if disappointed by his behaviour.

Some of them were mumbling to each other, resenting Drake, sharing casual rude comments about the continuous whining and shouting.

"If this is your idea of a joke, I'm very sure none of us think this is funny!" a businesswoman said coldly to Drake and his friends. Drake instantly remembered her, and her horrifying death flashed through his mind in an instant, making him shudder as the other disgusting sights repeated themselves in his head.

"Ugh, yeah, like what are you even talking about?" a blonde girl said, who Drake also seemed to remember.

He looked around, dazed, in a state of complete disbelief as he slowly came to realise that he recognised all of the people that were confronting him now.

More passengers began to step up. "Um yeah, someone needs to take a chill pill! No one is, like, gonna die on this train…" the other blonde girl said with a gentle tone. All of the others looked at Drake with cold eyes, agreeing with one another.

Completely disregarding their words, Drake turned to Mina. "Please, follow me. Don't take this train. You can't. Come with me. You'll die if you take this train."

"But we can't drive home, there's no way, the roads are too busy today…" Mina replied calmly.

"We'll walk. Let's go. Sarah! Freddy! Come with us!" Drake shouted, still worried about the events he believed to be coming.

"No way…" Freddy said gruffly and angrily, flailing his arms and accidentally knocking a phone out of a man's hand.

Shocked, the man shouted at Freddy, "Do you have any idea who the fuck you just messed with? I'll kill you!"

He chased after Freddy, and Drake, still screaming for the other passengers not to board the train, grabbed Mina and Sarah and took them with him.

The train doors opened, but, following Drake's warning, a teenager mumbled to the other passengers, "What if that guy is right, after all? I mean, I don't plan on dying today. Screw this. I'd rather be safe."

"Yeah, right, that guy was totally crazy… That could never happen…" another woman said, seeming to be another person planning to board the train.

Around ten passengers started arguing with each other, and in all the commotion, didn't realise the train had already left.

Realising, a man said, "Look! All of you have caused yourselves to miss this train, including me and my girlfriend. I hope you're happy."

They were startled by a light in the distance, and a series of deafeningly loud noises erupting from the tunnel.

They all turned around instantly, in shock, hearing fire rip through the tracks, and awful screeching sounds came bellowing from the train's wheels as they began to escape from the tracks. With another loud and sudden sound, everyone's ears rattled as explosions rang out down the tunnel. The train was very far down the tunnel, yet somehow everything could be heard. It was a series of violent explosions and fiery bursts that shook the entire platform and tunnel, so far away, as the platform shook beneath their very feet.

"OMG!" a girl screamed, as her shaking arm pointed over to the train, which had just overturned. The ten people, now shaken by what they had seen, were mumbling to each other, "He was right…"

They only had a few seconds to talk before the train exploded, shocking all of the remaining people on the platform. The ten people walked slowly and solemnly up the stairs, frightened and horrified by what they had just evaded.

Drake was still standing outside, with Mina, Sarah and Freddy, breathing heavily and in complete and utter shock. It was clear they had heard the entire commotion, even from outside the station.

"You… You were right…" a woman stuttered, holding tightly on to a man that Drake recognised as the younger of two brothers.

"You saved all our lives… Thank you." Her boyfriend said slowly, still mortified by the events that had occurred just seconds ago, barely able to form his speech correctly.

Nine other people, including the man with the phone, who had now calmed down, stepped forward to thank Drake for his warning. The final guy stepped forward, taking off his large blue stereo headphones, and said solemnly, "If it hadn't been for your warning, we would have all got on to that train. We'd all be dead now."

"How did you know?" the older brother asked inquisitively, all the other people around Drake looking at him with puzzled expressions on their faces, as if all asking the same question.

"I… I… I don't know… I just saw it. We all got on the train. We all died. It was horrible. It was like I was there, the panic, the screaming, the imminent fear… It felt like it just happened. I don't know what it was… All that matters is that all of us are safe," Drake slowly replied to the others.

Just after he finished speaking, five police cars showed up at the curb.

"Come with us, please," a policeman said firmly.

All 15 people, including Drake and his friends, as he counted, filed in to the police cars, before Mina and himself entered a car. The policewoman in the front seat began to drive, following the three cars in front of her, and using her mirrors to make sure the final car was following her own.

"We're just taking you in for a questioning. We'd just like to ask about what happened here, if that's okay." the policewoman said firmly, finishing her final sentence with a polite smile.


	3. 3 - Interviews

Not a word was spoken in the police car, as the car attempted to drive through the bustling streets of Mt. Abraham.

The roads were packed with cars, mainly cabs, attempting to get to one place or another.

The cars finally managed to turn a corner in to a quieter lane, as Drake instantly felt the car lurch forward, accelerating down the road.

Still, there was a tense atmosphere, and a disconcerting silence that had fallen among all the passengers.

They just glanced awkwardly at each other, looking at their palms every once in a while, looking out the windows, or around the interior of the car.

After the rather short drive down the few small avenues that followed, the car with Drake, Mina and Sarah arrived in the police station.

The police station cast an eerie shadow, even though it was bright outside, it appeared to loom over them.

It was a huge, grey building with dark windows, as if there was no life inside.

The police station looked derelict and abandoned, yet it was still fully functional, as the policewoman looked around, attempting to find the final car that had trailed behind them.

Freddy had been left to go in another car, along with two girls who he thought were twins, but according to him, just turned out to be "annoying best friends", which he mentioned while texting Sarah, while they were in the car.

They pulled in to a small parking area, quietly stepping out of the cars. The final car pulled in to the adjacent vacant spot, as Freddy stepped out, instantly joining Sarah.

There was still an uncomfortable silence covering the group of people.

Drake felt uneasy as he walked beside Mina, stepping lightly through the gravel.

Mina gently tapped his hand, and interlaced her fingers with his, but her gaze was still directed straight ahead of them, to the uninviting entrance.

All of the lucky fifteen survivors walked slowly in to the station, as they carefully pressed through the double doors, in a single file line.

They joined together in a huddle of people, as if pulling back and whimpering like a frightened animal, overshadowed by the dingy police station.

A light gently rocked above their head, casting a small light like a spotlight against the concrete ground.

One of the wires had come loose above it, causing it to sway.

The police station was not very well-lit, with tinted windows and dark grey floors. A few small ceiling lights were dotted around, all emitting a small orange glow.

A policeman directed the survivors in to a room, gesturing with one rigid arm, swinging open the door to let the people through, before he finally closed it behind the final man.

Inside, a small black table and two navy blue chairs were placed in the middle of the room. It wasn't very well-furnished, and had an awfully dismal atmosphere to it.

Behind the table, a tall African-American man stood, waiting menacingly for them.

He was an imposing, mysterious looking man, who glared at each of the survivors with a magnetic stare that caught the eyes of each of them.

Each person in turn nervously looked up at him as his dark eyes caught their gaze, almost locking on to them.

He cleared his throat and began to speak in a soothing, yet such an unnerving tone.

"Hello, my name is Detective Bludworth," he began, in his deep voice.

He continued, "I'll be asking you lucky little people a few questions. So close to death, yet you evaded it... I have such experience with the dead... I was once a mortician, five years ago... First, we have a... Michelle Wright?"

"Yes, hi, I'm Michelle Wright," the dark-skinned woman with the cat-imprinted dress and coat piped up. Drake shook impulsively as the thought of her death on the train flashed through his mind.

He took her through another unwelcoming grey door, with a small window, in to an even smaller room.

He began to question her. He cleared his throat once more.

"Why did you decide to not board this train?"

"I began to argue with these other people, about this man who believed the train would crash. By the time we had stopped, I had missed it. I was just returning from a date."

"And you have no idea why that train crashed?"

"No, no, I was terrified and surprised when it happened! It was so unexpected, and I didn't really believe that man over there..."

Michelle turned around, gesturing to Drake, giving him a quick stare of fright.

"Ah, okay. I shall remain in contact with you. Thank you for taking your time to come here."

She opened the door and left, gradually scurrying off and out of the room in to the main hallway.

Bludworth began to interview more people.

The two girls in matching outfits, who were called Delia Waters and Delilah Stokes, according to Bludworth, stepped in to the tiny room as Bludworth called their names.

They stepped inside, their bodies slightly bent in awkwardness and cowering, but the looked at Bludworth with a timid gaze.

Bludworth began to speak in his unsettling voice once more.

"What is your involvement with this incident? You are less suspicious suspects, being only fifteen years of age, but that does not rule out a possibility."

Delilah spoke up first, saying, "We were at the mall today, stocking up on make-up and buying shoes."

She held up an impressive collection of shopping bags clutched in both her trembling hands.

Delia stuttered, but also spoke to Bludworth, "We were just talking the subway home, when I turned around and saw a guy who was panicking. I'm really observant like that."

Delilah continued for her, "He started going crazy about this train, and all these people here now, at the station started arguing."

Delia spoke once more, "And we totally just missed the train. People got off, and it left. A few minutes later, I noticed it had turned upside down."

Delilah recounted the terrifying experience, "There was so much fire, and the explosions was so loud... I was so afraid."

Bludworth calmly replied, "Well, thank you for your time, that'll be all. Please return to the main area of the station."

The man who Freddy had accidentally angered earlier was called in afterwards. He was named Trevor Doyle. He stepped inside, as Bludworth abruptly closed the door behind him.

"So, you were not present to see the train crashing, am I correct?" Bludworth asked intently, moving his face a little too close to Trevor's as he stood upright, intimidated by Bludworth.

"Yes... How did you know? A foolish guy knocked my phone out of my hand! Wouldn't you go after him?"

Bludworth chuckled at Trevor.

"Why, I suppose. So, you chased after him, and his friends finally calmed you down, correct?"

"Yes, he profusely apologized, and explained what had happened, along with his friends. I then heard the train exploding."

"Do you have any idea as to why the train was involved in this fiery crash?"

"No, no idea at all! I was only returning from a baseball game that I had gone to with my friends. It baffles me!"

"And, unfortunately, us too." Bludworth chuckled once more.

"Thank you for your time, please remain within these walls until we have dealt with all these people."

Trevor mumbled a "thank you" as he exited the room.

The businesswoman, who was named Jessie Shields, was next. Bludworth opened the door, craned his head around, and called her in. She hastily stepped in, shutting the door and turning the handle behind her.

"So, Jessie Shields. You were also present at the train station," Bludworth began again.

Jessie acted distant and cold to Bludworth, attempting to keep her distance.

"Yes. I heard a man's claims. I ignored them. I argued with the other people. We missed the train. It then overturned. We don't understand why. I was returning from a business retreat."

"Why, how to-the-point and sincere. Thank you for your time... I think that will be all, Jessie. Thank you. Please wait here, in the main area."

The woman with the two men, Brooke Walton was called in, and her boyfriend insisted on joining her.

The other man that resembled him requested to join in, but he was denied access.

Bludworth simply said, "Oh, Jonathan. Two is company. Three's a crowd."

They both stepped in the room, with Bludworth closing the door once again.

"So, Brooke, Gary... What happened, just a few hours ago? Where you involved in the train crash in any significant way?"

Gary answered first. "No, I don't believe we were involved very importantly. All I really said was that I was angry we had missed the train. Then that teenager pointed out the train had turned over. I was completely frightened, but there was no real involvement."

Brooke added, "Yes, I was scared too. But I didn't do anything. I was just returning from a day out to the movies with Gary, and his brother Jonathan."

Bludworth simply said, "Thank you for your time. Please remain here while we interview the others."

Zachary Green, the teenager, was then called in to go to the room.

He pulled out his black earphones, wrapped them up, placed them in a pocket and stepped in quietly.

"Hello, Zachary. So, you were present at the station as well."

"Of course, I was. I was afraid that this man's claim could be true, and I suppose I started the argument... But I'm glad I did, because we did not get on that train, and we did not die."

"Of course you did... But are you sure that is a good thing, saving them?"

"What do you mean, it isn't good?" Zachary asked, slightly mortified and puzzled.

"I meant nothing, Zachary. But you don't seem to be involved, either." Bludworth answered.

"Thank you for your time, Zachary. Please wait in the main hall.

Jonathan Gray was then interviewed quickly. He just explained he was with Brooke and Gary, the entire time.

Ryan Stafford was the man to be interviewed after. He was the man with blue hair. Bludworth called him in, and he walked straight in to the small room.

"So, Ryan, why were you at the train station?" Bludworth asked.

"I was at a party, and, uhh... Not gonna lie, I decided to bail. I just wanted to go home. I had no idea that the train I was about to take was gonna explode! It shocked me!"

"Well... Thank you, Ryan. That will be all, actually."

Ryan thanked Bludworth, closing the door behind him, joining the crowd of people building in the main hall.

Derek Baker, the older man who kept hiding from Zachary, was then interviewed.

He was also quick, only explaining he usually spent time at home. He had got a coffee from the cafe that Mina worked at, and wanted to return on the train.

He then interviewed Sarah and Freddy, calling them both at the same time.

"So, Sarah and Freddy Clark. Twins. Why did you catch this train? What do you know?"

Freddy spoke for the both of them. "I was running my shop of usual. Sarah was working her normal shift at the cafe. We met with Drake and Mina, and decided to take the subway home. I mean, the roads were all blocked. It was like we were meant to take the train..."

"I suppose you were, Freddy," Bludworth said, with a light chuckle. "Thank you, Freddy and Sarah.

They quietly stepped out.

By the time it was Drake and Mina's turn, Drake was shivering due to the deaths he could still see, unable to shake them from his mind.

"Now, you, Drake... and your delightful girlfriend Mina." Mina frowned a little at Bludworth, but he continued.

Mina and Drake were the only people left in the room, so Bludworth locked up the small room while speaking.

"Drake, you told all these people here that the train would be involved in a fiery crash, minutes before it actually did. How did you truly know?"

"I don't know..." Drake tried to answer clearly, still slightly shaken.

"I just saw it. It was a vision, or dream, or premonition... Something... I don't know. It was like I was there. I felt everything. I don't understand what happened, or why it happened. But I just knew the train would crash. I saw it."

"Are you sure you weren't just asleep?" Bludworth replied softly, with a mocking chuckle.

"No, I'm definitely sure I wasn't. When I realized it was just a vision, I was walking down the steps to the train station. I don't know how it happened, I told you."

"Hmm... Well, everyone, that'll be all I need from you. Thank you for your time." Bludworth leaned in close to Drake, and whispered in to his ear, "I'll see you again, Drake... Anderson."

Drake disregarded Bludworth's last comment, and briskly exited the police station.

"Is it just me, or was that guy like totally creepy?" Delilah said, giggling to her friend Delia.

"Yeah, he totally was." Delia said, giggling.

Mina turned to Drake, and said softly, "That interview... Felt weird. I agree with those girls, to be honest. I don't know what it was, it just freaked me out... Let's go home, babe."

Drake held Mina's hand, and with the twins, they walked home, not saying a single word, stunned by the day's events.

 **Author's Notes ~ (This chapter was not too detailed before, and it began to annoy me! I have edited it greatly!)**


	4. 4 - Home

After an exhausting thirty five minutes of walking, contemplating the happenings, and a horrifying, eventful day, Michelle sighed in relief as she stepped silently through the door to her apartment.

She was ridiculously tired and shocked to the core by the day she had just experienced, and was desperate for a nice, relaxing shower before she went for a long, calming nap.

She felt a breeze blow through the door, closing it, as the latch fell down. It was like a small gust of wind, but felt cold and unnatural, sending multiple chills up her spine. "Strange..." she thought curiously, "What was that..."

She disregarded it as just a thought, and turned around to face her large television screen above her mantelpiece, splaying her body comfortably over her whole couch, grabbing a pillow.

Just as she rested down her head, she saw a shadow creep across the cat ornaments on her mantelpiece. It seemed to dart from one to the other, as if it was moving them along.

She began to panic now, worriedly looking around, feeling as if a presence was following her. Her hand shivering, Michelle reached for the remote and turned it on.

It crackled slightly, and then lit up, with a cooking show currently running. Michelle was barely paying attention, despite the fact she was trying to distract herself, but the chef seemed to be boiling potatoes, as the water on the show bubbled violently.

Michelle wondered for a moment, "Was I even on this cooking channel?" A tiny trace of darkness seemed to streak through the water, causing Michelle to quickly turn off the programme.

She slowly got up, checking the rooms and windows, but saw no signs of any presence lurking around her apartment. All of the windows were tightly locked shut.

Slightly worried, she whispered, "Fuck..." as she hurried over to her kitchen, putting a ready meal in to her microwave. She put the timer on the microwave to three minutes, and the small screen displayed the amount of seconds left.

She sat waiting, thinking over the day's events, when she notice the microwave seemed to be crackling also. A little water trickled out the side of the microwave in small droplets, before steam began to pour out of the side.

All at once, the microwave let out a small ping sound, the door of the microwave swinging open and bouncing back, and the steam almost instantly vanished.

A miniscule puddle of water remained by her microwave, almost resembling a skull.

Gazing in wonder at the small skull, she slowly opened her microwave door, fearing it would malfunction and harm her, or start pouring steam again. But it looked harmless, and did nothing.

Michelle reached in cautiously with one trembling hand, grabbing her ready meal, felt a sinister breeze and shrieked as she turned around instantly, throwing her meal at what she believed was an attacker. But it was thin air.

She looked down at her pizza, completely ruined, and ran, scared, to her bathroom, ready to shower herself.

Michelle thought, "What in the world is going on… I keep seeing stuff. Stop worrying, Michelle. You're not gonna like, die or something. Now calm yourself."

She put her iPhone on the poorly fitted shelf, making it slightly lean off the wall. The bolts holding it on to the wall made a squeaking sound.

Unaware that she had done this to the shelf, Michelle slowly undressed herself, folding her clothes in a neat pile by the sink. She clambered in to the shower, looking around to check she had everything with her.

She turned the heat up slightly, as she had always detested hot showers with a passion, and began to wash herself slowly, her eyes still wandering around the room in fear.

She looked around, feeling followed, and saw the closed curtains move, like they were rippling in a storm.

She carefully hopped out the shower to inspect the window, unknowingly letting her body wash tub tip over, spilling all in to her bathtub.

The open top of the body wash gargled as body wash poured swiftly in to the bathtub. Calm breezes of wind inside her bathtub spread out the liquid. Michelle pivoted on her feet, rotating 180 degrees when she felt a small gust, but there was still nothing there.

"What the fuck..?" she muttered again, panicking now as she stared at the latched window. She stepped forward, inspecting the latch closely, but there was no sign of anything unusual.

"Everything is perfectly fine. You've done nothing stupid," Michelle thought to herself.

She climbed back in to the shower, feeling more calm about the situation, just as her feet came in to contact with the slippery body wash, as she tumbled face first in to the tap end of her bathtub, her forehead knocking the heat control and pushing the plug in to the plughole.

Michelle began screeching at the top of her voice as her bath began to fill with scalding hot water. As she screamed deafeningly, she could already hear the water in her mouth as her shrieks were beginning to sound like bubbling water.

The shelf began to fall, causing a chain reaction with the shelves as they all tumbled off the walls. Michelle felt another icy breeze blow, sending ornaments and heavy objects zooming down the sloped shelves and in to the bathtub, smashing through the glass shower door, pinning her down.

Ornaments hit her and smashed, blocking her movement. After one hit her head, Michelle felt even more dazed and spaced out, but fought to escape the bath.

Shards of glass flew in all directions, while Michelle tried to withdraw and protect herself, but couldn't. The shards of glass all landed on her, many piercing her skin.

Tiny streams of blood slowly flowed down her shaking body in to the body wash. She was unable to move, scrambling frantically as she tried to find the tap, but to no avail.

The body wash had seeped in to her eyes, completely blinding her. Her arms flailed, searching for a switch, trying to push off anything, but she could not. She still felt mildly concussed from the china ornament hitting her in the temple.

She was pinned to the bottom of the bathtub as her flesh started to peel from the insanely hot water. In a sudden flash of realisation, she knew in that moment that she could potentially drown, as the water level gradually began to rise above her body, but she did not float.

The objects were too strong. It was so slippery, she could not even roll over, for fear of wounding herself with sharp ornament pieces.

As she realised she could be drowning right now, she attempted to roll over, but nothing happened. She felt herself burning, drowning, the worst sensation she had ever felt.

Millions of thoughts streamed through her head as she became absolutely frantic, desperately reaching out with all her limbs to try and push off any objects, but she couldn't.

The red-tinted water continued to rise, overflowing on to her bathroom floor, while Michelle was desperately attempting to move, fearing for her life.

Her last thoughts were of her boyfriend and her cats. Her eyes fluttered shut, Michelle felt herself stop screaming, and the immense burning pain in her lungs took over as everything went dark.

Michelle Wright loved cats. But as the cat ornaments tumbled off, and her lifeless body rose to the surface, in the end, it was cats that had killed her. Even if they weren't living cats. A final breeze through her home opened the bathroom door, and a huge surge of water flowed out her door, her cats trudged slowly through the soaked bathroom, and sat down by Michelle. Or what was left of her barely recognisable body. Cats would always be by her side. Or smashed next to her.

It was mere minutes before Michelle's scalded body was discovered. A neighbour named Ariel had heard the commotion, and curious, she went to investigate.

Michelle's front door had opened due to a mysterious breeze when Ariel stepped in. Her bare feet squished on the drenched carpet, and in a panic, she rushed to the source of water and found Michelle and her cats.

The five cats looked up at Ariel, and hopped gently off, fully revealing a burned, drowned and cut Michelle. Ariel let out a startled, ear-splitting scream and instantly dialled 911. "Hello?! I've... I've... found a dead body! I need someone now! I am located at 1345 Ogden Avenue, Mt. Abraham, New York on the third floor!" Ariel stuttered and could barely get the words to exit her mouth.

She sat down on Michelle's couch, shivering in fear, awaiting their arrival. She felt a terror like never before as a shadow seemed to cross Michelle's windows.

The police officers arrived rapidly after, instantly dashing to the bathroom of her apartment, and almost recoiling at the sight. A policeman looked around the bathroom, searching for any potential leads on her death. They began to question Ariel in this suspicious situation. "How did you come across this body? Do you have any idea what has happened here?"

Ariel slowly looked up, shivering uncontrollably. "I... I... heard screams and glass... I live in the apartment next door... Then I heard water, as the screams fell silent. I came over to check on Michelle and found this soaked carpet, went in the bathroom to find the overflowing bathtub, and Michelle, on the floor, scalded and bleeding a little. It... It was horrible... I just turned off the faucet and saw smashed ornaments around the body, and her cats just sitting by her eerily... I have no clue how it all happened, but I'm completely sure she's dead..." she mumbled, still mortified.

"Right, okay... Do you have any involvement in her death? Any lead on the cause?" the policeman continued calmly.

"What are you suggesting?" Ariel asked, a little defensively.

"There's no trace another human was here, she lives alone... Only her cats are with her. I know the water was extremely hot, it nearly burned my bare feet... I saw little trickling streams of blood... There are shards of glass on her and some even in her... I mean, she must have been showering, she's not wearing any clothes... But I don't know what was happening. I turned off her shower water and bath water... Who knows how they both got turned on, this is so freaky..." Ariel answered slowly, resisting the urge to begin sobbing loudly, right in front of a police officer.

"Well, thank you for your time. We'll continue to investigate the situation. Thank you for informing us. You may leave."

Ariel stepped out quietly without saying another word, before walking to her apartment, locking her door, and triple-checking to be completely sure.

Back in Michelle's apartment, the officers looked at the body, carefully searching the entire room. "Oh my God..." one of the officers muttered.

A steady flow of burning hot water was dripping out of the corner of her mouth.

There was a light red mark on her forehead, resembling the heat control in her bath. Puzzled by the situation, the police officers called the station to explain the whole story. "Yes. There's been a death. How? We don't know…" the policewoman trailed off.


	5. 5 - News

The streets seemed to continue endlessly as in the roads of Mt. Abraham, time seemed to stand still as Drake, Mina, Sarah and Freddy quietly walked down the sidewalk.

Places that were usually bustling with life at this time seemed to have nothing, just a dark silence that had spread everywhere.

Streets that were usually filled with cars seemed to just stand there, silently, as if something was watching over them, looming over them with a dark hand, casting a shadow across the streets as the group hurried to the safety of their apartments.

The four of them slowly walked in to their building, and pressed the button to call for the elevator.

Two minutes later, the elevator had reached the first floor.

The group stepped in to the elevator, pressed thirteenth floor, and waited as they were taken gradually to their floor.

Still clutching on to Mina's warm hand, yet having not spoken a single word for the duration of the thirty minute walk down the streets, Drake silently waved goodbye as they both entered their apartments opposite each other.

The twins stepped cautiously in to their apartment, before locking the door tightly shut, double-checking for fear of something still outside, like a presence, with them.

Drake quietly opened the door and stepped in, followed by Mina.

Drake and Mina quietly stepped over to the couch, not saying a word to each other for a quarter of an hour.

They simply sat in total silence, hands on laps, fingers interlaced, contemplating the overwhelming feelings.

They were both scared, wondering how it was possible.

How Drake saw what he saw. How he saved so many people.

Drake thought for a few moments, and finally decided to break the silence. "Hey, baby… So… What a day…"

"You can say that again, Drake…" Mina replied softly, but bluntly.

"I still don't know, you know… How… How… It happened… How did I see it? Before it actually came true? I… I… I just don't understand… Like I've never believed in psychic phenomena, visions, signs, things like that, you know…"

"I've wondered too…" Mina said, speaking softly, though still in a state of shock, slowly moving her body to rest her head on Drake's chest, and look up at him.

"How did I see it? How… I just don't understand… It's just impossible, I don't understand how… Why me? Why did I see it?"

"Nothing's impossible, Drake." Mina paused for a few seconds, to hold Drake's attention, before continuing.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you're a hero, Drake."

Drake looked down at her, puzzled, wondering what she meant, but continued to softly stroke her hair.

"Oh, Drake... I mean that you are a hero because you saved so many lives today. Your warning that the train would crash miraculously saved 15 lives," she paused for a few moments before seductively looking at Drake, "Including our lives. What do you say we celebrate that we're alive and well?"

She chuckled lightly, moving slightly up to get her face closer to his.

She moved her face up his, kissing his cheek gently before whispering in to his ear, "We should be so grateful we can live full lives now. I mean, it's not like you're gonna explode and die."

She giggled slightly, wondering why she made the final comment.

"Maybe I'm in a better mood now…" she thought.

Mina looked up to Drake and whispered, "I'm just kidding... Anyway, the shower is calling me... You coming, babe?"

Drake, taken aback a little, but very pleased at her suggestion, was already beginning to feel better.

After the events of the day, all Drake wanted was a shower or anything to help him let go of his troubles and fully relax.

Mina and himself were both tired and in confusion about the day. They just wanted to calm down and shake the worries from their minds, so they would not think about Drake's visions, or anything that happened anymore.

Drake softly replied, "Of course I am... Let's celebrate life."

He smiled brightly as he finished his sentence, winking suggestively as Mina followed him to the bathroom.

He slowly opened the door, letting Mina in, and quickly closed it behind him.

Somehow, the lock had fallen in to place. Drake peered at the lock closely, unlocking and relocking the door to check it was truly secure.

Drake was suspicious, but there seemed to be nothing wrong with the lock.

Both of them undressed themselves, and as they climbed in to the shower, a strong gust mysteriously knocked a body wash tub in to the bathtub.

"Woah, that's creepy... Someone could slip on stuff like that and get killed..." Mina muttered under her breath, without Drake hearing.

She wondered how the body wash could have possibly fallen, but ignored her questions. "Come on, Mina," she thought to herself, "you need to relax."

Drake calmly put the body wash back where it should be, and climbed in to the shower with Mina.

He closed the glass shower door, pulled across the curtain, and turned on the beautifully warm and soothing stream of water.

The water was calming, like a dream, as if it was washing away the pain and worry.

Forty amazing minutes later, Drake turned off the shower water, smiling at Mina as he helped her out of the shower.

They dressed themselves, talking to each other about the experience, and how they felt about each other, chuckling sweetly, before leaving the room to relax.

They had almost completely forgotten the worries that had gripped their minds before.

It felt as if during the shower, their troubles were forgotten and automatically thrown to the back of their minds.

Mina checked her phone, and called over to Drake. "Hey, what's this? A new news report posted five minutes ago... Turn on Channel Seven. I want to see this."

"Um, okay..." Drake said quietly, as the atmosphere in the apartment reversed back to the tension it held just one hour ago.

The TV turned on to a cooking channel.

Just before Drake changed the channel, the chef said sweetly, "Now my boiling is done." As the camera moved down to a delicious-looking meal, Drake changed over the channel to 7.

He wondered how it had opened at that channel.

Maybe Mina was watching something on there, he thought, as he turned his attention to the local news.

The news reporter began to speak slowly, with a serious face, "A woman has been found dead in Mt. Abraham, New York, in the larger, urban area of the city, on Ogden Avenue."

Drake and Mina's faces took on shocked expressions, as they listened more intently to the news.

"A death, on our street," Mina thought, and shuddered. The news reporter paused before continuing.

Drake shivered slightly as he began to wonder what had happened.

"The cause of death is still unknown, but her body was found by the woman living in the apartment next to hers. The body is scalded, and almost unrecognisable, but she was identified by this woman, Ariel, as Michelle Wright."

Drake and Mina turned slowly to each other, a look of complete terror shown evidently on their faces.

They instantly turned their attention back to the television screen.

"According to this woman, her apartment was flooded, and water was running from both the shower and bath. The water was also dangerously hot. From the evidence here, police believe she was somehow drowned and burned, though the officers have no lead of how it was caused. Michelle Wright was a survivor of the train crash that occurred only hours ago, as she did not board the train, and was at the platform to witness the crash. This freak accident that took Michelle's life will be investigated much further. More information about this story can be found on our website. Linking back to what we mentioned minutes ago, Train 801 mysteriously cra..."

Drake grabbed the remote without saying another word, and sat on the couch silently for five minutes, not even looking up.

He just sat there, staring at his palms. Mina was wiping her eyes, but stayed calm and collected, staring in to space, holding her knees tight, resting her chin between them.

He wondered how anyone could possibly die like that. How you could ever get scalded and drowned in your own bathtub. It just seemed so improbable, so completely impossible to ever happen…

"I just can't believe today…" Drake gradually began to speak, "First, I have a vision of a train crash… Then it comes to life, and we saved some people… And now one of these survivors has died in a freak accident a few hours later. What's going on…? It's only been a few hours, and look how much this has affected us… I'm tired, let's finish today… Come with me, Mina." Drake finished softly, standing up from the couch, gently reaching back for Mina's hand, leading her to the bedroom.

All Mina said was "Goodnight," in a voice that did not seem fully awake. Drake and Mina gradually drifted off in to a deep sleep.

Mina slept soundly.

Mina sleep was dreamless, but Drake's sleep was tormented. He could not shake the thoughts from his mind, picturing the events of the day over and over again.

He decided to get up, quietly leaving the bed so Mina wouldn't notice. She was sleeping peacefully.

He stood up, walked gently over to the door, slowly pulling it open, and walked towards his laptop.

He checked the time on his phone.

2:20AM.

He opened Google, and began searching through the survivors of the Train 801 crash, and more on Michelle's story, as it was updated.

The cause of death was both drowning and her body was scalded by the water, as he discovered. He shuddered at the thought, opened a new tab, and typed in one word.

Premonition.

Many shocking articles came up. A particular person had had a premonition before a disaster occurred, and saved some people.

They had witnessed a surprising vision involving the deaths of all of these people, followed by themselves.

He investigated further, looking at the survivors, and, shocked, reeled back from his computer screen.

All of the survivors were dead.

And not long after the premonitions, either.

They died in the most painful, unbelievable ways.

Drake began to panic, looking deeper in to these deaths. The deaths seemed to be so unlikely, painful, cruel…

An article claimed that these survivors were never meant to be alive, and had cheated Death.

The webpage clearly stated that Death came back to claim the lives it was missing.

He retraced his path to a webpage listing survivors of a rollercoaster derailment around a decade ago.

He discovered that a high schooler had had a premonition of the rollercoaster killing everyone on board.

Others had left the rollercoaster, but all of these survivors died quite soon after.

Drake was disgusted as he found a list of these survivors and their deaths. They seemed so unnatural, and impossible…

A girl was shot by a nail gun, two girls were burned inside tanning beds, and a guy had his head sliced open by an engine fan…

Drake was panicking. He realized that his premonition perfectly fit the description of what was being described on their computer screen.

Drake was horrified. "What if this is happening to us? Have we cheated Death? All of us will die!" Drake thought.

He tried to ignore all of the questions streaming through his mind. He shut his laptop and returned to bed, rolling over to face Mina, and shut his eyes tightly.

The two of them slept well for the remainder of the night.


	6. 6 - Survivors

Drake woke up to the feeling of being shaken, just before realising Mina was behind him, gently shaking his back with both her hands.

"Hey," she whispered softly, right in to his ear, "Why were you up last night?"

Drake felt awful immediately, realizing that he had inadvertently awoken Mina, and she hadn't had the heart to mention to Drake that he had woken her up.

"I just… Uh… Couldn't sleep… I kept thinking about the train, and Michelle… I can't believe she's died like this. To me, it seems so impossible. I went to look up stuff about our train, and Michelle, and premonitions… It just wouldn't make sense… Until I found this. Last night. When I was awake."

"You found what, Drake?" Mina asked quickly.

Drake swiftly brought up a webpage on his phone, showing the same webpage he had discovered mere hours ago.

"This."

It was the article about the rollercoaster, which derailed a decade before. "A girl had a vision that the rollercoaster would crash, killing everyone on board. Some of the high schoolers planning to ride the rollercoaster ended up leaving. In the weeks that followed this accident, all of the survivors died one by one in 'freak' accidents."

Mina's eyes widened in disbelief. "So… So…" she could barely contain her overwhelming emotions, stuttering, "They all died? Is what happened there… Happening again? But you had a vision, you saved people!"

"Yeah, I guess I did," Drake replied.

"How can you be so calm about things?!" Mina began to shriek, instantly believing that what happened to the unfortunate people in 2005 could be starting all over again.

"I'm not calm. Believe me. I don't want to die. Maybe this just isn't true, at all, and it's a simple coincidence. Accidental deaths happen all the time. Maybe Michelle was just really unlucky." Drake finished, wishing his final claim could be true, but doubting himself secretly.

"Will we all die? One of these survivors has already died!"

"I don't know. But if this is happening, we'll find a way around this."

"I love you, Drake. We can't die. Not now. We have our futures right ahead of us."

"I love you too, baby. But we have to meet up with these survivors again."

"How could we possibly do that? We barely know them, or where they live, or their contact details…"

"I collected information from them. After the interview. I spoke to some of them, asked. I was too afraid of what could be happening to us."

"Oh, Drake… What were you thinking?"

"We'll meet them at our apartment. I've already invited them to see us. In an hour. They might be early. I just wanted to talk to them. Tell them about the rollercoaster, and Michelle and everything that could be happening with us now."

"How could you do all this without asking me?! Like, we don't even know these people! We don't know what they're like, how they're gonna act in this apartment?"

"Is that really important? This is our lives we're talking about! This could be a difference between our lives and our untimely deaths…"

"You're right… I'm sorry, babe. We have to meet them. Their lives could be in danger. What if they're already dead right now?"

At that precise moment, Drake's phone began vibrating, as Mina stopped talking to look at Drake's phone as he reached to retrieve it from his pocket.

Drake looked down to see 'Delia Waters' calling. He gradually slid across the button to answer the call.

He answered with a simple hello.

She replied, "Hey! All of us are in this guy… Wait what's your name? Ryan? I'll remember, damn, you're cute… I didn't say that! It was Delilah! Yeah!" Drake had to pull his ear away from the blaring noise of the phone as Delilah and Delia argued playfully with one another, unable to stop laughing embarrassingly at each other's comments.

"Anyway, umm... We're all in his car, 10 people in a car! We'll be there really soon, like, give us five minutes! Bye!"

She hung up before Drake could say a word in reply.

"Well, that happened… They were… Loud. Energetic. Too loud. Let's go get Sarah and Freddy. I want them to be here too, because if we are right… They will die along with everyone else." Drake said quickly, holding Mina's hand and leading her to the door opposite their own.

Drake lightly knocked on the door 3 times, and a half asleep Freddy stumbled in to the doorway, pulling down his shirt and fixing his hair, which had been almost styled while he was sleeping in to a chaotic tangle of his short, thick hair.

"What do you want?" Freddy mumbled, not fully awake, still coming to terms with the fact he was speaking to Drake and Mina.

"Didn't you get my text, Sarah? Or you, Freddy? I sent it to you both…" Mina asked.

"I did!" Sarah said, almost too happily, unwitting that the situation was much more serious than she had first imagined.

Little did she know that if Drake was correct, her life was in danger, and very soon as well.

"We're meeting in our apartment. All the other people from the train station are on their way, and they'll be here in just a few minutes to meet with us. We need to all talk. Who knows what's going to happen. I mean, I may be being a little too gullible, but I am afraid that our lives are in danger." Drake said softly, beckoning for Freddy and Sarah to come to their apartment.

"Wait, what do you mean, our lives are in danger, Drake?" Sarah asked.

"I'll explain when we meet. It's important."

"What is going on with you? What do you mean, we'll die?" Freddy asked.

"I'll explain soon! Just come with me."

Freddy and Sarah entered and closed the door, just as a thunderous series of knocks shocked Sarah as she whipped around in fright, cautiously opening the door.

She was surprised as the flood of survivors began to step through the door. Delilah first, followed by nine others.

Delilah, Delia, Derek, Zachary, Jessie, Ryan, Brooke, Jonathan, Gary and Trevor entered quietly, worried about what could possibly be so important to require a meeting in the morning.

Trevor closed to door behind him, quickly locking it. The group of people rushed to sit on the couches and chairs.

"So," began Drake, clearing his throat. "I have brought all of you here because I have some bad news for you. This is extremely important."

"Oh, not more bad news…" Jessie said, in a slightly angered and disgruntled tone, as if she was tired of all the shocking events occurring lately.

"What's happened now…?" Trevor asked harshly, already annoyed at Drake and Mina for rushing to organize the meeting so rashly.

"Okay, what's happened?" Zachary asked, seeming to be the only interested person. He was genuinely concerned.

Most of the others didn't seem to care.

"Yesterday," Drake paused, almost for effect, "I saw a vision that the train would crash. It was detailed. It was like I was there. I saw everything that would have happened to us if we had boarded that train."

"We know this already…" Brooke whined, almost bored already at Drake's story.

"Yeah, what is this really about?" Delia asked sceptically. She wanted Drake to get to the point.

"Please… Let me finish. I have to tell you this," Drake said calmly, before continuing to speak. "I saw a premonition, and you all missed the train which you were meant to board, correct?"

"Right…" Jonathan said slowly, all of the others nodding in unison, all of them focusing their attention on Drake and every word that he said.

"We were all meant to die in that train crash. Right?"

The group all nodded once more, still intently listening to him.

"I was awake last night, reading about a rollercoaster derailment. A girl had a vision it would crash. Just like I did. She saved some people. Just like I did."

"Where are you going with this?" Gary asked loudly, a little angry and tired of what Drake had to say. He was in no mood to be messed around in the morning.

"Please, let me finish," Drake said, keeping calm and collected. He continued,

"After the accident had occurred, just as the vision showed… All of the survivors died. In the exact order they were originally supposed to die during that incident."

"What?!" Derek bellowed, almost choked up, before he began to wheeze. The entire group was afraid.

"In my vision, Michelle died first. Last night, Michelle died in a freak accident, drowning in her bathtub. The police have no idea how it happened. All survivors in the other premonitions I read about are now dead. They all died in a series of random freak accidents. It is said they cheated Death's plan, and it came back to get them. They weren't supposed to be alive, but were saved by a person with a vision. Because they weren't supposed to be alive, Death tried to reclaim all of their lives. And Death was successful."

"We survived though, because of your vision…" Ryan muttered.

"Are we going to die?" Freddy asked, as Sarah asked the same question to Drake.

A flood of chaotic questions from everyone was ripping through the room like a winter storm, barely understandable and all worrying, terrified voices.

"Calm down, everyone… I think there is a way we don't have to die," Drake said, attempting to calm the people down.

"How?!" Delia asked in a tone of desperation, fearing for her life.

"I think that if we save someone from their death again, they are skipped. They won't die."

"How can you be so sure?" Jonathan asked, all the others looking at Drake, their faces frozen by terror, impatiently awaiting his answer.

"I don't know. But there is hope for all of us." Drake said reassuringly.

"I have a question…" Zachary asked quietly, finally speaking up. He had been quite silent for the duration of the meeting, not really making a contribution.

"Go ahead." Drake said, quietly, with his face held in a solemn state as he weakly tried to smile at Zachary, attempting to seem kind when he was too concerned about the situation to try too hard.

"Who's next to die?" Zachary asked quickly, instantly looking at Drake.

Drake wracked his brain, remembering everything that should have happened on that ill-fated train, afraid of who could be next.

"After Michelle's throat was sliced," Drake said as the thought of her death flashed though his mind, making him shudder, "Hmm…" Drake said, still thinking as hard as he possibly could, just searching through the memories, in his vision, trying to remember what had happened in the dark chaotic state of the train.

Then, suddenly.

"Oh… I remember."

"Who?!" Brooke exclaimed.

"After she finally died… God, it was so horrible… A seat dislodged, but we avoided it, Mina and I ducked, along with Sarah and Freddy…"

"What happened next?" the group asked in unison, almost screaming now, afraid, fearing for their lives.

Drake said slowly, "Delia and Delilah were crushed up against the wall and mangled by the seat. The bottom of the seat crushed Delia as the top of it cut and crushed Delilah."

"So if you're right… We're going to die next?" Delilah asked Drake, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Yeah…" Drake said solemnly.

"Fuck… No, I can't die now… Not at all. This won't happen." Delilah said quietly.

"No! We won't die, we aren't going to. This is all crap. Let's go." Delia said.

"You're right. Let's go…" Delilah said, already chatting to Delia about guys, as if she had forgotten this serious situation that could potentially be ahead of them, if they were unlucky.

"We're leaving too, I don't see the point in being here anymore…" Brooke said, with Jonathan and Gary trailing behind her. Trevor and Derek also left after.

"I don't believe this, it's not happening. I'm just focusing on my career. I won't die," Jessie arrogantly claimed as she also began to head out of the door.

Only Zachary and Ryan were still with the twins, Drake and Mina. "Are we all going to die?" Ryan asked. He seemed to care too, not like the other survivors. Although he always loved to have fun, he was worried that the situation Drake had described could be happening to them.

"I hope not. Maybe I'm reading too much in to this. It's probably a simple coincidence, Michelle could have just happened to die," Drake said hopefully.

Zachary and Ryan finally left, chatting to one another about how they would look more in to this Death problem.

"Well, that went surprisingly well…" Drake said, turning to Mina slowly as she chuckled softly.

"Yeah, I guess… I mean I hope Michelle's death was just one of those accidents. What if it was a coincidence?"

"Maybe I panicked and came to conclusions, and we'll be okay. I shouldn't be believing stuff like this."

"I guess. But, if you're right, and we did cheat Death…"

"We'll all die." Drake said, finishing Mina's sentence, just as she trailed off.

"You said Delia and Delilah would be next, right?"

"I hope they'll be okay. They're only fifteen. It'd be so unfair if they were to die like that."

"They have lives ahead of them. I mean, they still go to school. It's Saturday today."

"We better keep in contact and make sure they're okay, you know, at school. School seems like it could be dangerous."

"I'll text them tomorrow, don't worry."

"For now, let's just get on with our weekend, and enjoy it."

Sarah and Freddy said a quick goodbye, and hurried out the door to go and eat brunch.

Meanwhile, Drake and Mina relaxed in front of their television, preparing for a lazy weekend. Their weekend was full of food, movies and Netflix.

They were relaxing, they went out to eat on Saturday and Sunday, and they just enjoyed being able to be calm for once in their busy lives.

On Sunday night, as Drake rested his head on the pillow, he was afraid of what was to come. He had a horrible feeling, as if he was right, as if he would die soon, and that Death wanted to come back for them.

As he began to drift to sleep, a book fell forward, toppling on to another book, as the final few tumbled off the shelf, down the wall.

They knocked a large photo of Drake and Mina off the wall, as it hit the floor and smashed the glass in a split-second.

Drake, shocked by the commotion, stood up slowly to see a huge glass crack running through Mina's side, across to his waist.

He carefully picked up the picture, positioning the frame back on the wall, and wondered how a book could have possibly done this.

He finally forgot about it and climbed in to bed, finally falling in to a deep sleep.


	7. 7 - Factory

As the Monday morning sun cast its light across the trees, dancing across the leaves and touching the pavement, Delilah stood at the corner, one earphone in, waiting for Delia so they could walk to school together.

The tall trees arched over the suburban road, creating almost a gentle and calm path, the street, protected by the trees that tilted over the road, their leaves splayed like a hand, protecting the small amount of cars that passed by.

The light shadow that covered the paved street was intercepted by the harsh rays of the sun on a summer's morning, bursting through the leaves, creating beautiful light patterns that swayed with the gentle wind.

It was earlier than Delilah usually arrived by Delia's house, but their school had organised a tour around a local recycling factory for a field trip, all day. All students had to arrive early, to get on a bus.

Delia tied up her shoes, neatened her skirt, and took one last look in the mirror before heading out of the door to go see Delilah. She already knew that Delilah would be at the end of the street, ready to walk.

As Delia left the house, she held up her phone as another mirror, just to check her hair again. She texted Delilah to say, "Be there soon," and casually fixed a bra strap.

She felt a cold breeze that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, but disregarded it, readying herself to sprint.

Delia ran down the street, skidding and coming to a halt directly next to Delilah, tripping slightly on a loose shoelace, but recomposing herself.

"Hey! How was your night? Eww, we have that factory thing today. Gross. Recycling and stuff, it's got to be like really shitty," Delia said to Delilah as they both crossed the street, beginning the short walk to their school.

Delilah replied, "Yeah, my night was great. I slept like all night, I don't even know, like, what, nine hours… And oh yeah, I know, right… Like I don't want it to make me sick, or ruin my tan. Like I work hard to look good."

"Yeah, totally, you look so hot today. I really like that top, it's not really slutty, but it's cute and works so well with you."

"So do you, my main bitch. I love the skirt. I have that skirt in my closet…"

Delia giggled before saying, "You're right, hoe. I need to get in early today. Jacob keeps flirting with me. I totally think he's gonna love this outfit."

"Yeah, he'll totally love it. God, everyone flirts with us, get used to it."

"Ugh, I know, we're just like too hot for all these boys."

"I know right?! We're so hot, it's like we're on fire…"

The two girls exploded in to uncontrollable laughter, recounting an incident when they had accidentally both set their hair on fire with a curling iron.

They could barely contain themselves, even in such a public place, as they had just turned the corner and crossed the street on to a much busier road. Their giggles were coming out as squeaks as they tried to make more jokes to each other, but were trying too hard to gasp for air.

"Oh, biatch! I have news!" Delia exclaimed, much too loudly, attracting the attention of other pedestrians with their excitement.

"Yeah, really?! OMG, tell me right now! I love news!"

"Yeah, so, um I was thinking of dyeing my hair, but like only at the bottom. I mean come on, that's gonna look pretty hot. Especially on me."

"Are you serious?"

"Um, yeah, you don't like it? Wow."

"No, I'm getting the same thing done, really soon! I've booked my appointment and everything! I've been looking forward to it for so long, and I thought I would tell you quite soon!"

"Oh my God! Really? I'm so excited for you! Really?!"

"Yeah! Definitely!"

"I really need to book an appointment. I'm having it dyed teal when I have mine done."

"So am I! OMG! I love teal hair! I mean like, I don't wanna lose my blonde, but teal would look so adorable! I'd just love to have both! It'd look so amazing on you! I can't believe we're both getting teal, this is perfect!"

The girls began to talk in such a high pitched, squeaky voice that only they could understand, as they were just conversing in a series of excited shrieks that were almost like sounds only animals should be able to make.

All that was understandable were the words, "Hashtag twinning!" The girls then proceeded to take far too many celebratory selfies, taking what seemed to be way over fifty, in the middle of the sidewalk.

They were blocking up the sidewalk, and people were scowling at their vanity, but they didn't care. All they wanted to do was have fun.

"Teal twins!" Delilah screamed, stroking the ends of her flowing hair, along with the curled ends of Delia's soft, bright hair.

"We're gonna be so cute! We're gonna be irresistible! When we walk through the gate next week… All eyes on us. Jaws will drop when we walk in."

"Hell yeah, we're gonna be hot as fuck. Like super-hot. Blazing."

"That guy, I think he was called like Oliver, or Ollie..."

"No, that was two different guys."

"Well, like both of them!"

"They're gonna want us so bad. They all will."

"OH MY GOD!" Delia squealed.

"What? OMG, tell me now!" Delilah exclaimed in reply. "You're not thinking what I'm thinking, bitch…"

"Fuck yeah I am, hoe!"

"Hashtag TealTwinning!" they screamed in unison at the top of their voices, once again throwing their heads back laughing like a pair of little kids.

Delia and Delilah both quickly brought up Instagram on their phones, each taking a best friend selfie for their feed, almost instantly picking an effect, adding a caption and tagging their pictures.

The rest of their conversation was a series of excited squeals, talking about their hair, their outfits, and all the guys they had been chatting to. Their conversations were always lively and exciting to them.

Delilah was just talking about a guy called Adam when they arrived at the large school gates, turning around, only to realize the bus had arrived already.

The bulky bus had arrived long ago, and they were last to board the bus.

"Sorry we're late!" Delilah said hastily to a teacher, continually giggling as she ran with Delia to the back of the bus, speeding down the aisle past all the students.

Many boys looked up, casually attempting to check out Delia and Delilah as they swiftly passed. One guy, sitting by his girlfriend, was looking at Delilah's top, cut slightly short, as she knocked his arm to scold him for being so shallow and materialistic.

Just as they both sat down, dropping their small, stylish pink handbags on to the seats, the bus fell silent for a moment as all the conversations randomly stopped.

Delia and Delilah glanced around, wondering what could have possibly happened to the bubbly atmosphere that occupied the bus seconds before.

The bus fell dark for a moment, as a noticeable breeze sifted through Delilah and Delia's hair, making them tremble a little from the sudden chill. The conversations then resumed, echoing off the close windows of the bus, as if nothing had happened.

"Um, what was that?" Delia asked curiously, confused as to what had just occurred in the bus, which was now rumbling as the engine began to work.

"No idea, who cares! So anyway, my appointment is next Thursday! Teal Thursday!" Delilah cried excitedly.

"I'll get my dad to book for the same day, same time! Teal time, OMG!"

"Yay!"

"OMG!"

"Getting teal at the same time!"

"More twinning!"

"Aahhh!"

Delia and Delilah let out more incomprehensible squeals of happiness as the bus lurched forward, beginning a jumpy journey to the factory. The bus shook along the way as it swerved around tight corners.

The window on the left of Delia shook from force, and all of a sudden, shut itself as the lock turned by itself to keep it closed.

Delilah's phone then let out a beep sound, and a green light.

Delia looked at the window, then at the phone, and randomly shuddered, beginning to wonder what was happening. She quickly ignored it, and resurfaced from her spaced out state as she heard Delilah begin to speak again.

"Why are we even going here? Like, it's so ew!" Delilah said, disgusted.

"OMG, I can like practically smell that smoke. Ugh!" Delia was horrified by the sight of the factory.

The factory was enveloped in a shadow, looking like a malicious figure looming over the students, pouring out dirty smoke.

For a recycling factory trying to help out the Earth, it didn't look so eco-friendly.

The bus ground to a halt in an old parking spot, and all the people exited the bus.

The professor claimed, much too enthusiastically, "Here we are! This beautiful recycling factory! This is where your old materials are turned in to beautiful new items for us to use again!"

"Um, beautiful? It looks dark and scary to me… Like, I literally feel sorry for everyone who works here," Delilah said without a care, as the two of them sniggered, making the rest of the students laugh.

"Whatever. Let's go inside," the professor said, in a much more miserable tone.

Delia and Delilah at the front, followed by fifty other students being led in to the factory by the professor.

The black front double doors seemed to swing open by themselves, just before the professor entered.

They closed themselves too, due to the fast winds that had picked up suddenly, closing in the final few students.

A tour guide was inside. He was a tall guy, with blonde, shoulder-length hair, swept to the right, and hazel eyes.

"Wow, he's hot!" Delia admitted, far too noisily.

"I know right..." Delilah said back quickly.

The girls realised that everyone, including the tour guide, had heard what they said, and they erupted in to embarrassingly loud fits of laughter.

"So, um, hi, I'm Michael, and I'll be leading you through the process of recycling today," the tour guide announced proudly.

"Along the way, we'll be showing you all the things that happen to your discarded items. Except for the shredder. That happens in a back room that shouldn't be entered," Michael finished in a slightly menacing tone.

"So, for the first step. The chute."

Michael continued babbling on about how the objects were dropped in to, what was it... Delia and Delilah weren't paying attention, and couldn't remember anything.

"God, this is like, so boring." Delia said, already bored out of her mind.

"I know, right… Let's go explore ourselves." Delilah said excitedly, lifting the mood.

"Yeah, that sounds much more fun… Yeah, this should be fun!"

"Let's take selfies with funny stuff!"

"Ooh, great idea, hoe!"

Delilah giggled as the pair quietly slinked away from the group, finding a black door around the corner, a conveyor belt being fed in to the wall, a few feet to the right of it. The conveyor belt had white stains on it, almost resembling the torso of a skeleton.

An ominous breeze, seemingly arriving from nowhere, calmly blew through the door, knocking the latch as the door violently swung open.

"Ooh, it's practically inviting us inside! Let's go!" Delilah cried.

"Yeah, woo!" Delia shouted back over the mechanical rumble of the recycling machines, laughing as she stepped through the door.

It shut behind them.

The lights in the room flickered for a moment as a gust of chilling wind ran through the room, worrying Delilah slightly.

"What's going on? Everything keeps going dark and windy... We're not, like, outside..." Delia admitted to her fear.

"Yeah, I've wondered too. Oh well. We're probably imagining things."

"Yeah..."

A bright light was suddenly emitted from the corner, as both girls swivelled around to look at it.

It was a machine, with a conveyor belt originating from somewhere in the wall, going through a dark machine making a vicious sound, and feeding through to somewhere else.

From the outside, it appeared harmless. But from the violent and deafening noises erupting from inside of the machine, it informed the pair otherwise.

Just as Delia stepped forward to take a closer look, twelve rubber ducks with skulls on their faces appeared through the wall, all facing forward as they sat in a triangle formation, moving smoothly down the conveyor belt.

Delilah laughed her head off, and said, "Look! Delia! These ducks!"

They both giggled excitedly, followed by a shout in unison, "Selfie time!"

Delilah and Delia both grabbed their phones, instantly opening the Retrica app to pick a filter. They both picked quickly, and each took four selfies, pulling duck faces and smiling in to the front camera.

Delia looked up in to her phone to see a shadowy figure in the background. Delilah saw the same ominous appearance.

They both turned around, sitting down on the conveyer belt next to the ducks, but there was no one there.

A small breeze frightened Delia as she dropped her phone on the conveyor belt, screeching as she grabbed it back instantly.

She said, "Thank God that wasn't shredded! Like, I would just die if that happened!"

"Yeah, that'd be me too…" Delilah admitted.

Just as her sentence finished, her skirt was caught in the mechanism.

"DELILAH! MY SKIRT!" Delia shrieked, in a total state of instant panic.

Delilah reached over to save Delia, springing her body forward to grab her hand, but she missed, just as her crop top was caught by a spinning cog, sucking her in with a series of violent tearing sounds of fabric being torn apart.

Both girls began to scream as they were being locked on to the conveyor belt by the groaning metal machine.

The conveyor belt was trying to drag them in to the machine, but the metal parts that had locked on to their clothes were unrelenting.

The enormous pressure their bodies were being but under caused them both to shriek as the unbelievable friction generated by the conveyor was burning their legs.

Delia was being pulled by the skirt, further in to the mechanism as evil tearing sounds could be heard, like a predator quickly devouring its prey. The machine finally ripped off her skirt as she screamed in pain, but it was too late to escape.

Her head was in between her legs, like she was folded in half. The machine almost seemed to close in on her sides.

Meanwhile, Delilah's top was being destroyed as the machine dragged her inward, getting closer and closer to her skin as the machine relentlessly whirred and jammed, dragging her forward and backward as she wailed in pain.

Delia shrieked as the machine finally came in to contact with her sides, rapidly tearing through her skin, revealing her insides as it shredded her sides almost instantly, spattering the mechanism and Delilah with her blood and skin.

The blood stained the conveyor belt, as it was pulling harder now, only trying to move the plastic it was intended to be processing.

She screamed as her ribs were cracked. Awful, grating sounds came bellowing from the metal, like an evil cackling screech.

Delia's bones rubbed and jammed against the harsh metal, then were snapped by the shredder as she came in to contact with it, finally snapping Delia in half.

Delia's dead body just continued along the belt, as the rest of her was shredded.

Her blood showered Delilah, who was now crying, and pieces of her skin were spread all over the machine. She was turned around now, as if the machine was forcing her to watch Delia die.

Her head was the last thing to be viciously torn apart, as pieces of her eye hit Delilah in the face, making her scream as the blood ran everywhere.

Dark red stains were sprayed across the conveyor belt as Delilah was forced to watch in horror, her top still locked in the machine, feeling like a vicelike grip forcing her to witness the death of Delia.

Her screams were echoing across the room, as she desperately shouted for help. The room was far too enclosed and soundproof, designed to block out the deafening sound of the machine.

An icy breeze latched the door, as the combination lock beeped, signifying there was no way out. Delilah tugged on her top, desperately trying to free herself from the vibrating iron.

She screamed and reeled back as the machine tore off the top of her fingers, blood spurting from three of her fingers like tiny machine guns.

The sinister lighting cast shadows across the machine as the mechanism unjammed with an ear-splitting grind of metal, and Delilah's top was torn in to once again.

The machine lurched and jerked her body around, bending it unnaturally.

She screamed and wailed as the mechanism quickly spun around at a lightning speed, hitting her waist with a violent smash.

But this was no obstruction for a machine. The machine almost instantaneously tore in to her waist as she shrieked in pain, looking down to see her skin being violently shredded apart as the metal sound deafened her ears.

Skin, blood and muscle was almost thrown all over the machine, coating it with a horrifying mix of human insides.

She was slowly dragged by the conveyor belt closer to the inside of the machine as her blood rained on her, spattering everywhere from the cogs.

Her waist was almost fully torn apart, as Delilah looked down to see her body almost destroyed. She could see inside herself, and could physically feel the blood escaping rapidly from her body.

Delilah could not handle the sights any longer, and threw up, straight in to the very mechanism that was tearing her apart.

It fired back at her, showering the machine with puke, along with Delilah.

She screamed and wailed in pain, sobbing as more and more blood gushed from the huge opening it had left.

Delilah had only moments to scream as she was finally fully unjammed from the machine

But she was too injured and dazed to stop her journey towards the pit.

She lay on the conveyor belt as it dragged her forward, almost in two pieces, losing blood insanely fast as it flowed down the conveyor belt, dripping off the end like a waterfall.

She was just crying, awaiting her own demise.

Her head was ripped apart first, followed by her shoulders and the rest of her mangled body, splattering blood all over the conveyor belt, as her remains tumbled in to the machine in shards of bone and skin, the gruesome mix joining Delia in the machine, as what was left of them was whisked away on a conveyor.

Delia Waters and Delilah Stokes were always together. In life. In death. They always helped each other out, always talked, and were always by each other's side. They will always remain by each other's side, no matter what could part them. Not even a shredder could part their friendship, but it parted their bodies. A brave act to save a friend has kept Delia and Delilah together. Always.

Back in the main area of the factory, Michael was almost at the end of his tour, showing a conveyor belt which came from the wall.

"So," he began, "This is where the shredded items arrive. These conveyor belts deal with primarily plastics, and are able to sort plastic. Here comes some plastic now! This has been through multiple machines and shredders."

Shredded pieces of a variety of plastics came out the conveyor belt, falling in to a pile.

The conveyor belt came to a screeching halt, jamming, and everything stood still.

Michael pressed a few buttons on a control panel, and luckily, the machines began to run again.

Out of the wall burst showers of blood and assorted shredded pieces of bone, brain matter and organs.

As the entire class watched, horrified, the conveyor belt sputtered and chugged, attempting to remove the remains of the girls from inside the machine. More blood splashed quickly on to the pit, some spraying on the students as they screamed in complete fear.

The blood soaked the machine and splashed hotly on the face of the professor before the final remains of Delia Waters and Delilah Stokes were thrown in to the huge container. The remains were scattered deep within the plastic. Blood covered the walls, the container, the floor, and most of the students.

Michael just gagged for a moment, and passed out.


	8. 8 - Investigation

At 11 in the morning, the ambulance, fire engine and police force all pulled up outside the factory door, dashing in to inspect the situation.

The sounds of multiple sirens could be heard, as the multi-coloured lights flashed against the gloomy factory.

The professor had called the emergency services, after witnessing the horrifying fragments of bloodied bones spitting out of the conveyor belt.

He had mustered up the courage to even pick up a phone before calling them, as everyone else was far too frightened.

Three police officers burst through the doors.

They searched thoroughly around the factory, before finding the professor, who fully explained the situation.

There was still blood dripping off the walls.

Assorted pools of blood were splattered across the floor, creeping outwards as the droplets hit them.

The policemen asked where the conveyor belt came from, and when Michael was finally able to answer, he rasped, "The back room."

They instantly turned and ran.

Three police officers ran in to the back room, quickly breaking through the door, and saw the conveyor belt, with assorted plastic items lying on top of it, and the machine working as usual.

Nothing appeared out of sorts.

From a distance.

They edged forward, cautiously, taking steps one by one, until they looked inside the machine and were shocked.

One policewoman gagged, and the two policemen were horrified at the disgusting sight before them.

The inside of the machine was horrifying.

Torn shreds of heather grey fabric were whizzing around, rotating with the mechanism, on both sides.

The remains of the clothes were still stuck in the machine.

But the clothes were not the worst part.

Blood coated the inside of the machine, along with shredded pieces of body that could not even be distinguished any longer, yet still lined the machine, giving off a rancid smell.

They were putrid and ghastly sights, sights that could not be forgotten.

The policewoman screamed as the professor, Michael, and most of the students came in to the room to see what was going on.

The screams were deafening, echoing like an explosion from the walls as all of the people were forced to witness the haunting sight that would be burned in to their minds for evermore.

The shredded parts of Delia and Delilah were stuck inside the machine.

All at once, every person turned to face the machine as a creaking noise sounded.

The machine jammed all of a sudden, to the surprise of all the witnesses.

The machine sputtered and let off terrifying sounds, like a person gasping for air.

Michael tried to restart the machine, but couldn't.

It seemed completely halted. Even the conveyor belt had stopped running smoothly.

Suddenly, a clump of blood soaked hair, fragments of skull and face were propelled from the machine, hitting on the floor with a gruesome squelch as the policewoman let off an unholy screech, almost losing her balance from the shocking sight.

The room erupted in to a series of terrified shrieks, sobs and screams soon after.

The emotions were spilling from the students, like a flash flood suddenly filling the rom.

Five minutes after, Detective Bludworth seemed to arrive out of nowhere. It was almost as if he had crept out of the ominous shadows cast by the machines.

A shadow moved across his body, revealing him as if he had just emerged.

He stood in the doorway in his black uniform, his arms tensed by his sides.

His jacket seemed to blend in with the walls and atmosphere of the factory.

He trudged in to the room, quickly taking in his surroundings and eyeing the situation.

"So," he began in his ragged voice, "What exactly has happened here?"

The first policeman spoke up first. "We received a call from this professor," he began, clearly upset, even in his profession.

He continued, his gravelly voice wavering, yet it was clear he was trying to prevent the emotional signs, as he said, "The professor said they were at this recycling factory, at the end of a tour of the factory for the school children. All of a sudden, the conveyor jammed, then showered them with blood and horrifying remains, which we strongly believe to be human."

"I see… Would someone here care to take me to this place?" Bludworth said calmly. His tone of voice had not altered in the slightest, despite the news.

He seemed emotionless, like he didn't feel for the occurrences of the factory.

The second policeman, without saying a word, briskly walked out of the door, leading Bludworth through the exit.

Bludworth just walked out, his facial expression remaining unchanged.

Five minutes later, through dark hallways, twisted passages, and dismal rooms, Bludworth and the policeman had arrived at the final stage of the school tour.

The students and professor just stood in wait, shuddering, thoughts sprinting through their minds as they contemplated the situation nervously, trying to think how this had occurred.

The professor finally broke the uneasy silence, in his booming voice that ricocheted off the walls, startling multiple students.

"I'm pretty sure we know who, or what the victim was… But I want to check. Let's check every student is here."

The students were in alphabetical order, on a notepad the professor had brought.

He reached in to a deep pocket, pulling out the ink-stained notepad, along with a jet black pen.

He began calling names…

"Paula Aruda, Frank Beach…"

The list seemed to continue forever.

Each student simply muttered a quick "Yeah" or "Yes" as the professor moved along, scanning the list as it shortened.

No one appeared to be missing of the first 49 students.

He had almost finished the list, 5 minutes later.

The last few names were called. "Carly Regan."

A small girl simply mumbled, "Yeah."

"Delilah Stokes."

Silence.

"Delilah?"

Silence.

"Delia Waters."

Silence.

"Delia?!"

Silence.

The realization struck the professor like a sharp knife.

Delia and Delilah were almost definitely the victims.

After contemplating quietly, the professor brought himself to look at the machine again.

He thought back to three hours ago, when Delia and Delilah were boarding the bus.

Even through the stains of blood, he recognized their clothes.

It was as clear as a summer's sky to him in that moment.

Delia and Delilah were dead.

That grisly lump of flesh and bones still sitting there, seeping blood, belonged to one of them.

The ghastly mix in the machine was once Delia and Delilah. They were gone.

The professor instantly recoiled back, losing his footing, and hitting the ground hard.

In a daze, he gradually rose to his feet, the students gazing on, wondering what had happened to their professor.

He didn't say a word.

Their stares were like a million questions, aiming at him.

As if half-alive, he stared in to space, not saying a word.

His vision was blurry, and he wasn't perceiving the world around him.

Meanwhile, the second policeman and Bludworth were standing before the haunting sight that had caused Michael to faint, under an hour before.

"Well, this is isn't exactly surprising." Bludworth announced devilishly, letting off a small chuckle.

The policeman stared him straight in the eyes, genuinely mortified.

He wondered how anyone could make such a comment about this tragic event.

His jaw just hung open, his brown eyes widened in shock.

Bludworth just stared at him back with his dark eyes, half-smiling.

The policeman said nothing, locked in to his intimidating stare.

He just stood there, unable to even reply to Bludworth's comment.

He was just so horrified by his tone of voice.

He seemed so heartless, to comment like that about the death of two teenagers.

He seemed so serious, so out of the ordinary.

The policeman shook the thoughts from his mind.

He thought of them as just a fleeting, worrying daydream.

He finally spoke up to Bludworth.

"What… What could you possibly mean by that comment? It's not surprising?"

"I meant nothing of it," Bludworth replied forcefully.

The policeman was almost taken aback by his imposing nature.

He looked around, searching for any leads.

All of it was clear to see. Blood seeped from the cracks in the wall.

It ran down the conveyor belt.

It was still clearly stained in the container.

Shockingly, there were still pieces of various organs stuck to the sides, streaking across the metal in nightmarish patterns.

The smell was extremely uninviting. For a man dealing with death on a much more horrifying scale, Bludworth just didn't care about the horrors that would rattle ordinary people.

"So, I presume this must be the rest of what is left of these unfortunate souls," Bludworth said in his rough, yet somehow calm voice, surprising the policeman, who had spaced out entirely.

"Yes… Yes… It must be."

The policeman finished his sentence abruptly, startled by a sharp beeping noise, emanating from his pocket.

He pulled out a black device, and held his finger on a dial.

A voice came through the dotted speaker.

"Hello? It's the professor of these students. We just checked who's here and who isn't…"

"Yes, and?" the policeman replied impatiently.

"Delilah Stokes and Delia Waters are nowhere to be found. I found scraps of their clothes in the machine."

"Then… Then… They're dead. All this carnage… It's what's left of their bodies."

"Yes. It must be. There's no other explanation."

"I shall look further now with Detective Bludworth."

"I shall consult my students now. Goodbye."

In a static crackle, the voice stopped.

The policeman silently slipped his device back in to the pocket it had come from previously.

Back in that small room, darkened by the horrible events, the professor had to explain the students what these occurrences truly meant.

"Class."

Every youthful face turned to look up at the professor.

"Delia Waters and Delilah Stokes are dead. They must have died, somehow, in this machine."

There was no response.

Just horrified, shocked expressions appearing on all of the faces.

Quiet sobs. Horrified mutters. Shocked whispers.

No words could even be spoken.

The emotions overflowed in all of the teenagers.

In a sudden flash, the professor had an idea.

"Michael?" the professor said, attempting to get his attention.

Michael, who turned around, having not spoken or moved since speaking to the policeman, said quietly, "Yes?" He listened intently to the professor, giving him all of his attention.

"I have a plan. We can find out what really happened."

"How is that possible? We couldn't find a way to do that?" Michael asked, exasperated at the professor's claims.

"Nothing's impossible. Do you have a security system around this factory? Like security cameras?"

"Yes… Why?" Michael inquired softly.

"We could see exactly what happened in here. Tell the detective."

Without another word, Michael rushed out of the room.

He ran down the dark corridors, searching for the policeman and detective.

The professor followed swiftly behind him.

After just a few minutes, they had arrived at the end of the tour.

The policeman was startled, yet Bludworth turned around just before they arrived, as if he knew they would be arriving.

The professor spoke up.

"I have an idea. We can find out what went on. We can use the security camera system to view what occurred in the machine. Michael here would be able to give us access to this system."

"Why, excellent thinking," Bludworth said coolly.

"Thank… Thank you," the professor replied, already feeling overpowered by Bludworth.

Bludworth silently stepped out, guided by Michael, to a large grey door.

Michael pulled open the door, and without a word, Bludworth strolled through, in to a large room with multiple monitors, and a red chair in the centre.

Bludworth instantly stepped over to the chair, sitting down, still not speaking to either man.

Michael quickly said, "This camera here shows the room from above, this shows the machine from inside, and this shows the machine from the front of the conveyor belt."

While speaking, he gestured to three different monitors.

Bludworth inspected the monitors.

The room from above was just showing the students, sitting idly by.

They were almost frozen by their shock.

The camera from inside the machine had nothing out of the ordinary, except for the clothes torn apart inside the gears.

The camera from the conveyor belt only showed the opening of the machine, with it in the distance, with the same shreds of fabric.

Before Michael could even utter a word, Bludworth began typing in to a keyboard, and pressing assorted buttons.

To Michael's complete surprise, Bludworth already knew perfectly well how to operate the cameras.

He rapidly rewound the footage on the three cameras previously pointed out.

The footage was moving so fast, no one was able to tell what was going on.

Bludworth abruptly lifted his hands from the control panel.

On the bird's eye view camera, Delia and Delilah opened the door and came in to the room. They talked for a while, and soon, Delilah was laughing.

A horde of ducks appeared on the conveyor belt. They were black, with skulls.

Bludworth peered in to the cameras slowly, edging his face towards the monitors.

It was evident Delia and Delilah were now taking pictures of themselves.

Michael's eyes widened when he saw Delia's skirt get caught and heard her screech.

The policeman winced and staggered backwards when Delilah got caught as well.

All of the men averted their eyes from the first camera.

Instead, they kept both the second and third cameras in their field of vision.

From the interior, it was quite dark, but it was clear both girls were trapped.

On the exterior, it was very visible as well.

Their screams were horrifying as Delia began to slide in to the conveyor deeper, and deeper.

The professor covered his eyes with his hands, and the policeman angled his head away.

But Bludworth looked straight on, in to the monitor of the interior machine.

It was clear that Delia was being torn apart.

It was almost like the machine got closer to Delia, spraying the machine with her blood.

From the camera by the wall, the professor could see Delilah, trying to scramble free, wailing, calling for help.

With a horrifying crunch that startled both the professor and policeman, the two men turned their attention to the interior camera to see Delia being snapped in half.

Her ribs were cracked, and she was dead.

Her body moved inwards, and presumably continued down the conveyor belt.

Michael hadn't moved. He was stuck in his place by the horrifying sights of the monitors illuminating the room.

The professor nudged Michael in the arm.

He turned around quickly, surprised.

The professor whispered to Michael, "Where does that conveyor belt lead?"

Michael felt a huge lump forming in his throat.

He tried to stop it, but couldn't help it.

Bludworth and the policeman had somehow heard his question, and both turned towards Michael, as the sound of Delilah's top ripping was ringing off the wall.

Michael tried to force the lump down his throat, but it prevailed over the force of his throat.

He felt choked up, but began his answer, "It leads… It goes straight through a shredder."

All four men turned around as the ghastly sounds of Delia being shredded were crystal clear through the monitors.

Then, the machine jolted.

As Michael and the professor brought their hands to their mouths, the machine swiftly tore through Delilah's skin, in to her waist.

She then puked, as the professor felt weak at the knees.

She was finally released from the machine, just as she was headed for the shredder.

Her head went in first.

Just as the sound of her skull splitting could be heard, Bludworth pressed two buttons, returning the cameras back to the live feed.

They looked the same as they had five minutes before.

Just silent rooms, the hum of whirring machines in the background.

Michael, the professor, and the policeman could not say a word.

They were speechless.

But Bludworth abruptly broke the silence.

"So, that explains all the blood," he said insensitively, with a chuckle.

The policeman, Michael and the professor all looked at Bludworth in utter disgust.

Bludworth just chuckled again, bringing himself to his feet.

He silently stepped out the door, and left the building.

The policeman, professor and Michael followed.

Eventually, the students had to go home after the entire situation was explained.

Every single person who stepped through the factory doors, as they headed to their homes, were disgusted and shocked by all the tragic events of the day.

They would surely not be forgotten.


	9. 9 - Funeral

On Friday, the twenty-first day of August, a funeral was held for Delia Waters and Delilah Stokes.

It was a bleak evening, with a chilled breeze swaying the trees overlooking Drake's car, as he, Mina, Sarah and Freddy travelled to the clearing where it would be held.

Sarah and Freddy were in their car following closely behind Drake, Freddy in the driver's seat.

The funeral of Delia and Delilah was extremely prompt, due to the wishes of their parents.

Their parents were shells of their former selves.

It was like they had no purpose, like their humanity had been removed by the tragic occurrences.

They were like robots, moving like clockwork, emotionless.

The events of Monday had turned their hearts to stone.

They had insisted that the two girls' funerals be made in to one funeral, to commemorate their "eternal friendship."

It was a rash decision made by all four parents of the deceased girls to have the funeral just four days after their deaths.

They were in a state of deep mourning, a trauma, like a coma of emotion that they would never be awoken from.

The parents were first to arrive at the funeral, walking up to their daughters' coffins as they began to weep in despair.

It was an eventful and shocking week for everyone.

First the train. Then Michelle. And now this… It didn't seem right.

At six o'clock sharp in the evening, the funeral began.

Drake, Mina, Sarah and Freddy finally arrived at the funeral, as the crowd of grieving people began to gather.

Drake silently walked down the sidewalk in a black suit, with Mina, Sarah and Freddy keeping closely behind.

The four reached the clearing where the funeral would be held, as Mina took in a breath of refreshing, chilled air.

For August, it seemed far too cold.

Drake, Mina, Sarah and Freddy stepped forth to stand amongst the crowd, gathered in a circle around the two coffins.

It was a quiet, outdoor gathering, in a secluded clearing, just on the outskirts of Mt. Abraham.

It seemed so natural, and peaceful, and gentle. Just like the innocent young girls that died in the tragic accident.

The funeral conductor began to speak in his slow, sullen voice.

His voice was monotone, like he felt no emotion.

"We are here today to mourn the loss of such precious young lives. Delia Waters and Delilah Stokes lie here before me. They are at peace now, and free of the world's troubles. Delia was a sweet young woman, caring for…"

The conductor began to eulogize Delia and Delilah in his droning voice.

Drake began to tune out as the man continued on, and on, spotting a figure in the background, half hidden by the shadow of a tree.

He slowly leaned forward, attempting to make out who or what this shadowy figure was.

The figure just stood, still as a statue, shrouded by the darkness of the trees.

The figure was tall, and very well disguised.

It was wearing black, like most.

Yes, it was definitely a human.

But, Drake thought, "If it's a person, why aren't they with the crowd, mourning the loss, rather than just looking at us? It's quite off-putting…"

Drake ignored the figure, which was still staring straight ahead, and looked back at the coffins.

The coffins were beautifully decorated with mesmerizing mounds of different coloured flowers.

The coffins were identical in shape, size and decoration, except one was gold, and one was silver.

The gold coffin held Delia, and the silver held Delilah.

Even though the coffins contained the remains of the girls, and were so stained with the mark of death, they seemed out of place in the dismal, black theme with their bright colour palette.

They were so captivating, it was as if they did not belong in such a dark and depressing atmosphere.

Drake turned to look at Mina, Sarah and Freddy.

Mina was standing straight, hands holding each other tightly in front of her.

Her eyes were clearly watering as she listened to the gentle description of what Delilah was like.

Drake thought to himself, "These girls were so innocent. It's so cruel that they died so soon… They didn't deserve this."

As the funeral conductor continued to speak slowly about the relationship between Delia and Delilah, Drake couldn't help but worry about the lives of all the survivors.

At such a tragic event involving the deaths of these two girls.

They seemed so pure, beautiful, innocent, like they would never purposefully harm a soul.

But why, why would they be killed in such a cruel manner.

So many questions were haunting his mind, surrounding him.

As Drake tilted his head again and observed Mina in his peripheral vision, it was clear that Mina was having similar thoughts.

It seemed so unfair, unreal.

It seemed so improbable anyone could die like that.

Drake leaned forward again, and noticed that the figure had stepped forward.

It was under another tree, much closer to the funeral now.

Drake turned around to see that a tree was swaying heavily in the wind, its branches casting shadow strips across the crowd.

As they moved upwards, Drake noticed something extremely extraordinary.

The shadows had come to rest.

They were no longer moving.

The wind seemed to slow down, and the shadows just stopped their gentle journey in a moment.

Like the wind had come to rest. Like the girls.

Drake looked at the shadow once more.

The largest forked branch was protruding over the funeral, seeming to draw a dark line over both coffins and the conductor.

It covered the head of the conductor, and drew an ominous line across the coffins.

In line with where the girls' heads should have been.

Drake felt a small chill run through his body, and turned around, to see the figure had moved even closer still.

The funeral conductor was still droning on about Delia and Delilah.

His voice made everything so monotone, and dull, and depressing.

In an instant, Drake realized who that shadowy figure really was.

Detective William Bludworth.

Drake nearly lost his footing in that moment.

Why was a detective present at the funeral?

What did he want?

Other unnerving questions filled up Drake's mind.

He regained control of his mind, turning back to the funeral.

Delia and Delilah's parents were still standing by the coffins of their daughters.

All four of them were sobbing hysterically, tears streaming from their eyes.

The constant flow of saltwater dripped on to the ground in front of them.

The funeral conductor seemed to be nearing his finish, as Drake paid more attention to his speech.

"… That bond shall never be forgotten. Any people who would like to offer a final remembrance, please step forward now."

The mothers of the girls were first, gently placing bouquets of flowers by their daughters' sides.

After, the fathers also gave the same offering.

Mina nudged Drake's shoulder as he followed her towards the coffins.

Mina placed a white rose on each coffin, turning her gaze towards the parents.

Delia's mother was sobbing so hard that her husband was holding her in a warm embrace.

Delia's father thanked Mina, as did Delilah's. Delilah's mother was cowering behind her husband, also in uncontrollable fits of tears.

10 minutes later, the funeral ended. After all, Drake thought, funerals aren't truly for the dead. They're for the living. A dismal remembrance of lives that once were, and no longer are.

Drake, Mina, Sarah and Freddy walked out of the clearing.

Without a word, Sarah and Freddy walked through the trees to their car, Sarah got in to the driving seat, and they drove quickly down the muddy avenue leading to the trees.

The parking facilities were natural and secluded.

Just as Mina made a start for the trees, Drake grabbed her arm, and whispered, "We need to talk. I think I saw Bludworth."

Mina's jaw hung open in shock as she quickly followed Drake to a tree.

They noticed Bludworth walking away, and sped up.

Drake stood the right side of Bludworth, Mina on the left.

An alarmed Bludworth turned towards Drake, looking down on him with an intimidating gaze.

"What do you want with me?" he asked.

"I want to know why you were here."

"Why shouldn't I be? I was heavily involved in the investigation surrounding the unfortunate demise of these two girls."

"That doesn't matter. Why were you here?"

Bludworth suddenly leaned close to Drake's ear, his cold breath almost freezing Drake's ear.

He menacingly stated, "You can't cheat in the biggest game of the world. Once the game is finally over for those cheaters, I may as well see."

Drake's eyes widened in horror at Bludworth's harsh statements.

"What could you possibly mean? What is this game you're on about?"

"The game that everyone partakes in. Life."

"Game?"

"Yes, the game of life."

"What do you mean, when the game is over? You mean death? How did they cheat the game?"

"Drake Anderson. Somehow, you saw the plan of Death, and cheated the grand game. You will pay for your misdeed. Your life should have already ended. On that train, that is when your life should have ended. But, you chose to help all these unfortunates escape the master plan laid out for them. Death is only punishing the cheaters. They are supposed to be gone. And soon, they will be gone."

"Thank… Thank you…" Drake stuttered, as Bludworth chuckled evilly. He moved on, in to the trees, vanishing in to the ominous shadows. He walked through the forest, like an entity, fading before their eyes.

"What was he talking about? Cheating Death?" Mina asked quietly. "Wait… You said Delia and Delilah were next in the vision, didn't you…"

Drake suddenly realized everything about Bludworth's claims could be coming to life.

Delia and Delilah would have been next to die.

And they were, in fact, next to die.

Drake dropped to his knees in fear.

"Wait, so, Death has a design, right?" Mina asked.

"I… I guess it does…" Drake replied sullenly. He was crestfallen.

"Who died after Delilah?" Mina asked intently. She was filled with the negative emotions of the funeral, but just able to question Drake.

Drake thought hard once again, thinking of his vision.

He suddenly flashed back in to his premonition in the blink of an eye.

He looked across as Delilah was, once again, cut deeply by the seat.

He saw the life disappear from her eyes as she dropped to the floor next to Delia.

Delia and Delilah's bodies were shredded by the flying glass and objects once again.

Drake could feel his vision again.

He could feel the panic and terror that had haunted him just the week before.

He looked down to see Trevor's phone being stepped on.

He felt the terror again as the pillar soared through the air.

It ricocheted off the walls and impaled Trevor straight through the eye, also going through the stomach of Jessie, who was right behind him.

Drake exited his vision in an instant, realizing Mina was shouting at him.

"Drake? Drake?! What's happened to you?" Mina pleaded.

Drake took in a huge gasp of air, quickly saying to Mina, "It was the vision, again… I was back on the train, last Friday…"

"What? What did you see, Drake?"

"I… I saw Delia and Delilah die… Then…"

"Then what, Drake?!"

"Then a pillar came flying and impaled Trevor through the eye. It came out of the back of his head and stabbed Jessie straight through the stomach."

"So… If Bludworth is right… Trevor is next, then Jessie?"

"Yes. I think he's right. Three survivors are dead. Deaths like that just aren't normal…"

"You're right… We have to speak to Trevor!"

A huge crunching sound of wood could be heard from above.

Mina looked up to see a branch hanging from a tree, nearly detached.

"DRAKE!" Mina screamed in imminent fear.

Drake looked up seconds before the branch crashed in to his head.

Everything went black for Drake.

Mina screamed, heaving the branch off of Drake's body.

Mina dialled 911 in a complete state of panic.


	10. 10 - Hospital

Mina Davis was crying her eyes out audibly when the paramedics arrived. Drake was instantly pulled in to an ambulance, with Mina sitting beside him.

Her tears began to stain the grass and mud as she sat, slumped on the floor beside Drake. He looked so lifeless.

Mina was helped up by a friendly paramedic who got both her and Drake in to an ambulance, before it began to speed down highways, darting between cars to get to hospital as fast as possible.

They were swiftly whisked away to Mt. Abraham's hospital, as the ambulance pulled up in to a parking lot.

Paramedics rushed to open the back of the ambulance, taking Drake out and directly on to an uncomfortable looking stretcher.

Mina following, jogging beside them, the paramedics rushed inside, pushing the stretcher straight through in to a room with a solitary bed.

Doctors came in to examine him, sternly instructing Mina to stay in the waiting room.

She had shyly left, attempting to stop the tears before they fell.

Mina sat in the waiting room outside, biting her nails in nervousness.

She feared the worst had happened to Drake. The paramedics hadn't even ruled out his death to her. They had only said he would be checked up.

Mina's fears were consuming her as she withdrew into a ball on the chair she was sitting at.

She allowed her mind to control her, letting her overthink as she began to assume the worst.

Salty tears ran down her face in two symmetrical streams, hitting her knees as the thoughts in her head increased her paranoia.

He had cheated Death, after all. Three survivors were dead already. What if Death had decided to take Drake?

Maybe to stop the man who started it all…?

Mina's sobs became very audible as she rocked back and forth on the plastic chair. She couldn't take the pressure, the waiting.

The chair creaked and groaned as Mina shook violently.

Time seemed to move so slowly. The clock was almost moving in slow motion. The time was taking its toll on Mina as she grew more anxious.

She gazed intently at the clock hands, inspecting their every small movement.

She was barely able to contain the emotions, like a flash flood of feeling overflowing inside of her.

She looked up at the clock incessantly, desperate for some answers about Drake's state. The gazes of the people around her began to turn towards her as she wailed loudly in the room.

She didn't want to attract attention, but she couldn't help but cry.

Mina stood up, her tears hitting the ground in a steady rhythm. She paced nervously across the room, circling the table in the middle in a nervous stumbling walk.

She was almost chewing on her lip anxiously, staring downwards, blocking out the entire world around her.

Finally, a doctor came to the door. Mina wiped her face with a tissue, looking up with wide eyes, like a child expecting a delivery.

Her anxiety could be resolved.

"Sandra Hill. We need to see you now."

Mina's entire face drooped as she dropped to the ground, crying harder. She felt so disappointed, and the desperation was beginning to take over.

She slumped over herself, covering her face with her hands, peering out of the crack to look at the glowing ceiling light.

A blonde woman looked down at her, smiling at her. Mina looked up, managing a weak smile, but both knew it was a false smile. She felt as if there was nothing to live for.

The woman's face returned to look straight ahead, as she followed the doctor who had called her.

Mina let her life flash before her eyes. It was all fond memories of Drake, right from the first day she ever met him.

Mina's sobs grew louder as she remembered a close call with Death in her childhood. It was too much to cope with.

May 13th 2001.

She was travelling with Drake on a highway when a log truck suddenly started dropping logs that bounced across the highway, causing a vicious crash.

She could feel it again, the sobs she let out as she looked out of the window, cars flipping over and over, explosions shooting out in all directions, blazing fires, logs slamming harshly in to cars.

She could feel herself screaming, the fear she felt as only a young girl, as Drake's father shouted "PREPARE YOURSELF!"

She remembered the warmth of Drake's body, as she clutched him. As she cried for Drake, she remembered how Drake had saved them all.

"Speed up, Dad!" he had shouted.

Mina remembered the deafening roar of the engine as he sped up, accelerating so quickly he escaped the path of the logs and continued down the road.

She had never felt so much relief in her life.

She was eternally grateful to Drake for that. She loved Drake with all her heart, and always had had feelings for him. From a very young age. And to think she was by his side when he had died… It was too much for her to handle.

Just as she looked up, she noticed a doctor briskly walking down the hallway towards her, and gradually rose to her feet, managing a weak smile in her relief.

"Let's just hope that this doctor is meant for me…" she thought to herself, wiping away the tears that stained her clothes and dripped off her face like tiny pure crystals.

"Mina Davis. Please come to talk to us now," the doctor announced, instantly turning her back to Mina once again, speeding back down the same corridor she had arrived from.

Without even saying a word, Mina nodded to herself in acknowledgement, allowing the tears to fade away.

The fear of death still clutching Mina like a relentless killer, she walked down the hall, looking left and right at all the white doors, with labels on them. They seemed so mysterious, plain, unnerving.

Mina sped up, attempting to clear her head. The hall still looked the same. To her, it felt like it stretched for miles and miles.

It was endless.

The doctor was still far ahead of her.

The doctor abruptly stopped, turning towards a white door on the left, gesturing for Mina to enter.

She sped up, running in to the room. She had to find out what had happened to the man she loved. What if his fate was already decided by Death itself…?

Drake looked like he was sleeping peacefully. "Wait, isn't that a cliché for death?" Mina thought to herself, starting to believe her fears were true. As more tears welled in to her eyes, a male doctor gestured to a seat next to Drake.

The doctor said down next to Mina, a serious expression on his face. Mina prepared herself for his speech.

"Amelia Davis," the doctor began. Mina shuddered and winced at the use of her full name. She couldn't stand it. "Mina…" she said to him quietly.

"Sorry, Mina Davis…" the doctor corrected his error before continuing, "We're sorry to inform you that your boyfriend is in a coma. However, he was not killed. He has a large bandage around his head, and may have hallucinations from now on. For example, he could have visions."

Mina scowled at the doctor. "He already had a vision…" she said through her sobs, "Just last week, he had a vision a train would crash and saved the both of us."

"I don't know what to comment on that, Mina. However, stay close by him, or monitor him in some way. He may have erratic behavioural traits and other problems. However, this is only a cautionary warning. He may have no problems whatsoever. But, we have good news. The damage done to him was not as fatal as expected. We are unsure when he will wake up, but we predict it will be quite soon. It could be hours, days, or weeks at the most. We hope."

"Thank you, doctor…" Mina said calmly. She had never felt more relieved in her life. Drake was still in the world of the living. Maybe it was a warning from Death, designed to shock Mina. Her tears began to greaten as she kissed Drake on the cheek, interlacing her fingers with his.

Drake didn't react. As expected.

Mina was just so glad that Death had decided to spare Drake.

This time.

"Wake up soon, my baby. I love you," Mina whispered in to Drake's ear gently. She knew he couldn't hear. But somewhere in his overpowering state of unconsciousness, she truly hoped he heard her on some level. Somehow.

Mina remained on the chair for an hour, just gazing at Drake, reminiscing all their good times.

She stared deeply in to his dreamy green eyes.

She felt empty, like she needed him back. She knew he would come back.

Somehow. She just hoped it was sooner than later. Mina gently kissed Drake's cheek before standing up and walking to grab a chair. She placed the chair next to the one she was previously sitting on, laying across both chairs. She smiled at Drake.

"Just sleeping," she thought to herself, "Only sleeping. He'll wake up soon."

The doctors came in to find Mina asleep on the chairs beside Drake, only two hours later.

They simply smiled, and left again.

Mina had troubled sleep. She did not wake, but the tossing and turning was involuntary. She kept dreaming about what had happened, the harrowing events and troubles in her mind.

She woke with a start at 8am, when she rolled off the chairs, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

She groaned and moaned as she gradually realized she'd hit the floor, lifting herself slowly to her feet.

Slowly taking in her surroundings, Mina realized how she'd spent the night. Groaning to herself, she looked up gradually to see the sun rising, beginning to stream through the window, illuminating the room gently.

There was one, wide clear window to the room. Drake's room happened to be on the edge of the hospital, so he was one of the few fortunate enough to have a window. Unfortunately, he couldn't appreciate the daylight in his state.

Mina gazed fondly down at Drake. His hands by his sides, he was sleeping as peacefully as an angel, his eyes gently shut, his face resting, looking so soft, and innocent.

"Innocent…" Mina thought to herself. She repeated the word over and over in her head, thinking about the meaning as it turned into a droning chorus surging incessantly through her mind.

"Drake is innocent… He didn't deserve this!" Mina began to think out loud, letting a solitary tear fall from her left eye. It hit her shoe as she gasped in her startled moment.

"Wait. No one deserved to die. None of the survivors. But three are dead, one's in a coma, who knows what's next?" Mina thought to herself, overthinking the justice of these deaths. It just seemed so cruel, to escape death and be rewarded by death.

Mina sat down on her chair once more, gazing down at Drake, allowing herself to softly daydream about their times together. Mina dearly missed Drake, and it had only been under 24 hours.

A doctor came in to ask how she was, but Mina quickly and dismissively brushed off the doctor, who left promptly. She just didn't care. She wanted her boyfriend back more than anything.

She felt herself becoming heartless already. It had only been a day.

Mina spent the entire weekend walking around the hospital aimlessly, sitting by Drake, or crying her eyes out.

It was like she was a phantom, a mere glimpse of her old self.

She'd already asked to be off work until Drake recovered. Her employers at the café had surprisingly agreed to let her off. Unpaid, though.

Finally, on Sunday evening, Mina returned from her night walk around the hospital. She tried her best to be polite to everyone, but it was becoming difficult as her desperation grew.

She had just wandered through rooms as she returned to the room, sitting down beside Drake in that same blue chair she was already so accustomed to.

Not even the doctors knew when Drake would wake. They just assured her, "Probably soon."

As the week drew on, time felt like it was gradually slowing for Mina. She began to detest that word, "Probably". It became hard to rest chances on that word.

It felt positive, but that negative chance still lingering within it loved to drag Mina down.

By Wednesday, Mina was aching all over from sleeping on two chairs, but she didn't care one bit.

She would stay by Drake until he woke up.

By Friday, Mina was beginning to act nervous. Even though it had been just a week, Mina often found herself begging Drake to wake up. Drake's face was stained by her own tears.

For the entire week, she had repeated the same boring routine, simply as she didn't care what she did.

She was still walking around the hospital, sitting by Drake, doing her usual activities. It was feeling like clockwork for her, but she still had all the hope in her heart focused on Drake.

The month of September was drawing very near. Leaves began to turn brown, and Mina often gazed out the window, watching the world change before her eyes as her own mind left her confined within the hospital walls.

Almost as if time stood still inside the hospital for Mina, but it was ever-changing outside the walls.

Sarah and Freddy kept trying to check on Mina, but she disregarded their messages. All she cared about in the hospital was Drake. She just wished with all her heart he could wake.

Suddenly, a startling thought crept in to the front of Mina's mind, startling her as if it had awoken her from her half-alive, drowsy state.

The survivors. They could all be dead.

She had spent so much time feeling like she had no purpose that she hadn't realized that the other survivors could be dead by now.

On Monday, the last day of August, Mina contacted the man she was most afraid for.

Trevor Doyle.

She called him up, anxiously chewing her nails and sitting by Drake, staring at his sleeping face.

Suddenly, Trevor answered his phone. "Hello? Who is this?" he inquired.

Mina stuttered, and began to speak in her drowsy, slurring voice that had developed over the week, "This is… Mina. I was just concerned… about you."

"And why is that?" Trevor asked gruffly.

"Because…" Mina had grown so tired, she barely knew who she was calling anymore.

"Because…"

"Because what?" Trevor asked again.

Mina suddenly remembered her thoughts.

"Because you're the next to die. In Drake's vision, you… You died after Delilah."

"So I'm next?"

"I'm sorry, but yeah…"

"Well, if what you're saying is true, which it's probably not, I'll die soon. Eh, I'm not too concerned. I'll just watch out."

After his last sentence, Trevor hung up before Mina could manage to speak another word.

Suddenly, an advertisement flashed up on Mina's phone.

"There is no escaping DEATH… and taxes." It said "Montgomery and Glick" above in bold, red lettering.

Puzzled, Mina tapped the X in the corner, only for another advertisement to fill her screen with its vibrant colours.

"Come to Sunlight Elementary! Where there is only the light to nurture your children, and fill their eyes with wonder! Send your kids here today! We open September 8th!"

As Mina stared intently in to the screen, her eyes widened with fear. Suddenly, a black screen flashed and disappeared, removing the advertisement from her screen.

It seemed almost paranormal that that would occur just seconds after her conversation with Trevor.

As Mina was closing her apps, another app popped up to full screen, showing yet another advertisement. Slightly irritated, she closed it quickly. It was only showing stationary at a nearby store. Tape, pencils, fabric scissors, pens…

Mina immediately opened her speed dial, calling Trevor a second time.

"Yes, what is it, Mina?" Trevor asked. There was a hint of anger lacing his voice.

"Do, you, by any chance…" Mina was still exhausted, and beginning to lose grip on her train of thought, but continued, "Do you know Sunlight Elementary?"

Mina could hear Trevor's shocked gasp audibly, as her own eyes began to widen in fear.

"Yes, yes I do… I work there… I'm a teacher…" Trevor mumbled quietly to Mina.

"Shit…" Mina muttered to herself.

"You're opening September 8th, right?"

"Yes… Yes… We are…" Trevor said, clearly mortified.

"Be careful! Watch out! I think you might die that day…" Mina said slowly to Trevor, attempting to get across the fear that filled her.

"I will be watching, and won't trip up with anything. Thank you," Trevor said before hanging up again.

Mina sighed to herself. She couldn't help but fear for Trevor's life.

As another 7 days passed, Mina felt the joy of life beginning to drain from her. It was like she was trying to grasp it, but as she became weaker, she couldn't help but let it go.

She would often stare, or stop, or do nothing for hours on end. Doctors even grew worried for her as she stared at Drake with wide, emotionless eyes.

Like her emotions were being taken gradually as her time was taken in the hospital. She hadn't been in to the outside world for fourteen days.

Every day, she would burst in to uncontrollable fits of tears. They were sudden, and seemingly random, but she had them almost 2 times every single day.

Mina was struggling to cope as she woke up the following Monday, the 7th day of September.

She had almost forgotten her responsibilities with the other survivors, until it dawned on her as she woke up, the sun streaming in through the window.

She messaged Trevor, "Are you okay?"

Almost five minutes later, "I'm fine. Don't worry," was the response she received from him.

She walked out for a morning walk around the dismal white halls of the hospital, looking down at her feet drowsily the entire time.

Spending days just sitting by Drake was taking its toll on her mental health.

That afternoon, Mina came to her senses. She slowly began to realize that she was losing a grip on her life, her sanity and that she needed to change.

As tears began to stream down her cheeks, Mina leaned forward in her chair, kissing Drake on the forehead.

"I love you," she whispered gently, before leaning back in to her chair, letting her face fall in to her palms, the sheer amount of tears making a splash sound as she sobbed in to her own hand.

The emotions filled every single cell of her body as she wept for Drake, letting herself gently shiver against the blue chair that she rested her head on every night.

Suddenly, it felt like the world had stopped. Mina had a terrifying instinct, like a feeling inside her. She looked up.

Drake's eyes were open.

"DRAKE? DRAKE!" Mina screamed aloud, a wide grin taking complete control of her face.

It quickly faded as he didn't respond.

"Drake?" she spoke to him once more.

Drake stayed still.

His eyes were wide open, but he wasn't moving, wasn't saying a word.

Mina ran out of the room, calling for a nurse.

Inside the room, Drake awoke finally. He felt horrible. "Mina?" he asked weakly in to the distance as his vision became less blurry.

He realized she was gone, slumping back on to the hospital bed.

At that point, Drake realized what he had seen.

He saw something, he heard Mina's calls just minutes before. But he couldn't answer.

He must have had a vision.

He desperately thought back to his vision, trying to remember what he'd seen.

Suddenly, the vision appeared to him again.

Drake felt himself jolt backwards in his bed as the vision gripped him.

He saw a blaring fire engine speeding towards him. Suddenly, a huge foot crushed the fire engine, but the siren could still be heard.

The vision zoomed out to see a gigantic shadowy figure looking down at 2 tiny figures.

They were running in circles.

Suddenly, a beam of light rushed towards him and the last thing he saw was the brightness of the sun.

Drake snapped out of the vision, sweat pouring from his forehead. He looked up to the door to see Mina coming in.

"DRAKE!" she exclaimed loudly.

He could barely move or say a word before she rushed towards him at lightning speed, squeezing him tightly with a hug, causing him to wince in pain.

He reeled back from the hug.

"Sorry, it just felt like it rushed to my head… When will they let me out of here?" Drake asked intently.

He stared at her with happy eyes. Mina had never felt so happy in her life before.

"Really? That's the first thing you ask me? Not how long have I been in a coma, how have you been, where am I, anything like that…" Mina scolded Drake sternly.

"Uhh… You have a point. Where am I? Hospital? And coma?" Drake asked curiously.

"Do you remember everything completely?" Mina asked before proceeding, staring Drake right in the eyes.

"I… Uh… Think so…" Drake said, coming to terms with his situation, scanning around the room.

"We were at Delia and Delilah's funeral. A tree branch fell straight on to your head," Mina informed Drake, as gently as she could, attempting to conceal her concerned tone.

She sat down beside Drake, softly stroking his hand.

"So… I was in a coma? For how long?" Drake asked softly.

"Yes, you were. It was the 21st of August when it…" Mina shuddered at the thought of the incident, "happened… And today is the 7th of September. Monday."

"Wow, not that long for a coma… I've heard of months… Be glad it wasn't longer," Drake calmly said to Mina, managing a small smile.

Mina thought both of them would be better off if she didn't decide to inform Drake about what she'd been doing for the past seventeen days.

"I am glad. I'm just glad you're back," Mina admitted, fully caressing Drake once more.

Drake smiled in the warm embrace he was held tightly within.

Mina pulled back in an instant. "What is it?" Drake asked, the concerned tone now beginning to linger around his voice.

"It's just…"

Mina thought long and hard about what information to impart to him. She had so many important things to say.

"I've seen some creepy things while you were in a coma. Like… I think Death is really coming for us," Mina admitted quietly?

"What?" Drake asked loudly, a shocked expression instantly taking hold of his face. "Are any more survivors dead yet?"

"No. But I remember Trevor is next. So I called him."

"And?"

"He's okay. But I saw strange things. Things that don't usually happen."

"Like what?"

"I got three ads on my phone, all in a row. The first one said there is no escaping DEATH and taxes."

"That's strange… What else?"

"An ad for a nearby school, Sunlight Elementary. Said it would "fill their eyes with wonder" or something. And it opens September 8th for the year. When I called Trevor, he told me he's a teacher at that school…"

"Shit…" Drake muttered quietly.

It was almost as if those 17 days were only a passing. Though the tragic events of Drake's coma and Mina's mental state had passed, the tragedy of Death seemed to be continuing.

Mina thought as if even though those days had felt so long, they'd been so cruel to her, and sucked the life from her, they were forgotten as Drake talked to her as normal.

If only they didn't have to talk about Death.

"And the third ad was only for stationary. Tape, scissors, pencils, crap like that. Not important, I don't think."

"I think everything happened for a reason. We need to warn Trevor again. September 8th is tomorrow."

Mina's eyes almost bulged from their sockets at the realization. "You're right, Drake…" she whispered.

"I think I should tell you something…" Drake mumbled, beginning to feel tired again.

"What?" Mina asked, placing one leg on top of another, clasping her hands and looking down on Drake in the hospital bed.

"Before you came in… I had a vision," Drake said quietly, barely able to look at Mina. His stare remained focused on his feet.

"Vision, again? Of the train?" Mina asked intently. She focused her gaze on Drake, staring so deep it forced him to return the stare.

Drake looked up slowly, like an innocent child. "No, no, not the train… This one was different…"

"Was it a vision about Trevor?" Mina asked, her face crumpling while she tried to mask her fear.

"I don't know… I think so. But it was a fire engine. A loud one, blaring, driving towards me. Then a foot crushed it, and it was a giant shadowy person. Two much smaller shadow people were running in circles. Then, the bright sun rushed towards me and the vision ended…"

"That's different… Wow… Wait. The sun?"

"Yes."

"Sunlight Elementary," Mina blurted out, enunciating "sun" as Drake realized as well.

"I think it must be about Trevor."

"We need to call him. Now. I'll call him again."

"Okay, Mina. Tell him everything."

Mina instantly pushed her hand in to her tight back pocket, whipping out her phone. She dialled Trevor's number quickly, listening to the ringing.

After ringing six times, Trevor finally picked up.

"Yes, Mina?" Trevor asked. He sounded a little irritated, but was clearly worried to be called.

"We really think you will die tomorrow. Drake saw a vision. It was quite… cryptic." Mina responded calmly.

"Tell me everything," Trevor said in a seemingly monotone voice, barely able to not convey the fear that was spreading through his body.

"Well… I saw another ad after seeing Sunlight Elementary. I think everything is important and should be considered. It advertised tape, fabric scissors, pens, and pencils."

Trevor's gasp was extremely audible.

"What? What's the problem?" Mina demanded worriedly.

"Tomorrow…" Trevor began, clearly shivering in fear, "I'm running a craft day for my students. I bought all four of those things for the children to use tomorrow."

"Oh my…" Mina said quietly.

"I'll be careful," Trevor stated, a little calmer now.

"Also, Drake had a vision. He saw a fire engine, being crushed by a foot. The giant person was draped in shadow, watching two figures running in circles. Then, the sun rushed towards him. Like sunlight."

"Oh dear… Oh no… I'm going to die..."

"No, you're not, Trevor," Mina said reassuringly and softly. "Watch out for all of the signs we've given you!"

"I will. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Trevor."

Mina hung up. She was in complete awe, silenced by fear. Drake could barely move.

A minute later, three nurses burst through the door to Drake's room, claiming he was already in a fit state to leave. They informed him he was one of their luckiest patients who dealt with a coma, and that he is "lucky to be alive."

The last sentence made Mina shudder awkwardly in her seat.

"You're free to go when you wish, Drake Anderson."

"Thank you…" he weakly mumbled to the nurses as they scurried to exit the room, already dashing down the hall.

Mina felt a small smile tugging at her mouth, but it couldn't last long.

Death was still coming. And it was clear to see.

Holding Drake's hand, Mina thanked Drake's doctor kindly, winding her way through the halls, Drake tagging along.

After so many endless walks through the corridors, she knew the hospital like the back of her hand.

Mina finally pushed open the entrance doors, allowing Drake to step through. She hoisted Drake up in to the passenger seat of his car, closing the door, and entering herself on the right side.

She began to drive home, smiling and breathing in the outdoor air through the window. It had been so long since they'd been outside.

The couple smiled at each other the whole way home, calmly, reassuringly.

As they sped down highways and suburban streets, Mina finally felt at peace.

They would sleep when they got home, and finally be at peace once more.

But, a dark flickering instinct in the back of Mina and Drake's minds knew something else.

No peace would come to them.


End file.
